Dreamers of Your Dream
by Blue Topaz
Summary: Sam is trained to be a new SG-1 leader. S/J. LAST ONE, THE EPILOGUE
1. Part 1a

Disclaimer: Stargate SG-1 is not mine, but I wish it is. 

AN: This is the 3rd story in my 'Thread of Destiny' Series, but don't worry, you can read this as a stand alone story. The 1st story is 'Thread of Destiny' and the 2nd one is 'Complicated Heart'. You can read both stories in fanfiction.net or my site    http:// fly.to / bluetopazfic   (remove the spacing). Thanks for Jay-Bee Bug with her amazing beta-reader skill and patient. g So, let the story begin ...

**Dreamers of Your Dream**

By Blue Topaz

***

**Ing Ngarso Sung Tulodo --  From the front, a teacher should set an example; **

**Ing Madya Mangun Karso -- From the middle, a teacher should act as a motivator; **

**Tut Wuri Handayani -- From behind, a teacher should be a guide for the students' learning activity.**

By Ki Hajar Dewantara.

***

**Part 1: Ing Ngarso Sung Tulodo**

_"From the front, a teacher should set an example."_

*

*

*

Must. Not. Shoot. The. Colonel.

The mantra was repeated several times inside Major Samantha Carter's head.

"Carter, need help?" The smirk that decorated his face an hour ago was still there. Persistent as the power-thirst Aphopis had before SG-1 crashed his ship (with him and the Replicators inside it) into his planet. She would have loved nothing more than to wipe that smug grin off his face, like she wiped out the evil Goa'uld. 

She shot him a glare but held back her tongue. Her breath was short and irregular, courtesy of the activity she was currently in. 

"Come on Major. Say the word and I'll give you a ride."

Must. Not. Kill. The. Colonel.

A slightly different mantra was recited inside her head. She must remind herself that killing the Colonel equals court martial plus a very *very* sad Sam Carter. That would be bad.

"Never," she managed to get that word out between breaths. Big ... big ... big mistake. She must remember not to say anything while her lungs were out of oxygen. 

"Suit yourself." He shrugged his shoulders.

Must. Not. Feed. Him. To. The. Goa'uld. 

Oh yeah, the mantra was getting better and better.

One of his hands was on the steering wheel of the green military jeep he was driving, the other was fixing his shade's position, which failed miserably in hiding his gleam. She knew that he was laughing at her stubbornness inside. But she refused to react. The sun was shining brightly, she was grateful that she hadn't forgotten to put her cap on. The road in front of her seemed longer than it should have been. 

Damn that man for being so cool and gorgeous with his sunglasses on. It had to be against the regulations for a commanding officer to look that good. Did the Air Force naively believe that all female officers have as much self-restraint as she does? She knew some who would gladly ignore the stupid Fraternization regulation and jump at the first chance to ravish him. 

Damn her for being so honourable and acting like a good girl all the time. She really should take the Colonel's advice and learn to have a good time, one that did not involve any machinery or complicated equations. And damn her for being her, she only flashed him a quick smile when he said it and replied 'This is fun, Sir' while pointing at a naquada reactor. 

Damn the naquada reactor for being so interesting.

"Colonel." A breathless voice came from behind her. It was Lt. Andrew Reed, an officer who had the tendency to speak before he could think. Nothing that the Colonel was unfamiliar with.

"Yes, Lieutenant?" The Colonel didn't take his eyes off the road.

"Why aren't you running with us?" Reed's voice was hoarse and forced. Didn't he know that it was highly uncomfortable to talk while running? She closed her eyes and rolled them. Some people just couldn't shut their mouth and had to speak their mind, without considering the time nor the place. 

"And miss the chance to see all of you suffer?" 

Captain Charlie Green could not help but laugh out loud. While running. He stopped running suddenly and coughed, his lungs in desperate need to be filled with air, when something -- or someone, bumped into his back. He really should have known better. He momentarily lost his balance and leapt forward, and luckily his reflexes saved him from falling flat on his face. 

"Hey, watch it!" Lt. Maria Halle shouted. She was that 'someone'. Then with a little edge in her voice, she continued, "Sir."

They glared for a second and then started to run again. 

"You are the one who ran into me, Halle." Green was shouting back. Apparently, it was easier to shout rather than to speak while you were running at the same time. Go figure!

Halle didn't take the blame laying down. "Because you stopped running suddenly, Captain!" The use of his rank was really for the sake of sarcasm. 

"That was no excuse, *Lieutenant*." Ah, the emphasis of rank. He was superior to her.

"How so, *Captain*?" She didn't think that it was a big deal.

"You should watch where you're going, *Liutenant*." He didn't like what she was implying.

"I did. It was your fault, *Captain*." She didn't care about what he thought.

Kids these days. Sam had to resist the urge to pull her hair out. 

"Oh yeah?" He was ready to start a fight.

That was it. Sam had had enough with the bickering. "STOP!"

One captain and two lieutenants stopped in their tracks and stood at attention. One Colonel pressed the breaks of his jeep while Sam stopped running as well. 

"Problem, Major?" The Colonel's jeep was slightly ahead of the rest of them. 

Trying to catch her breath, she looked back at him. "Nothing that I can't handle, Sir."

His eyebrows went up. "Okay. I'll leave you to it. See you back at the base."

"Yes, Sir."

He pulled his green military cap slightly and then took off after giving her a slight nod.

"Don't forget about the time!" He cheerfully informed her.

Oh crap, she forgot about the time. A quick glance at her watch told her that she still had around 30 minutes left. It should be enough, the base was not too far from their current position.

"Major?" 

"Attention!" She barked the order. They straightened their backs, chins held high, hands at their sides. Perfect soldier pose.

She eyed them one by one. Her annoyance and disappointment at their behaviour was pretty obvious. "Listen to me carefully," she started with a low and dangerous tone. Her patience was on the verge of breaking down. "I don't want to hear another word from anyone until we've reached the base, understood!" 

She kept her voice steady. "Anyone disobey that order, I'll have *all* of you cleaning the Stargate using a toothbrush and wax it until you can see your own reflections in it. Got that!"

Without waiting for their answer, she turned around and resumed her run again. The three officers exchanged bemused looks before finally following her in silence. 

Once they set a pace, Sam sighed inwardly. It was so unusual of her to lose her patience over such a trivial matter. But she was exhausted and drained, mentally and physically. It had been a long and busy month. She had projects in her labs that needed to be done, going on the missions with SG-1, holding countless briefings and meetings with the scientists at Area 51, and on top of that, she had this special training.

Come to think of it, it was actually her fault. She asked for this special training, to shape and mould her into an officer worthy of commanding the SG-1. She did ask the Colonel to prepare her when he said that he wanted to retire. She still remembered it vividly; the guilt and hurt in him when he told her about his fear of losing her, after she was kidnapped off-world and got another memory stamp. He almost lost her, and he was willing to give up SG-1 for her. It had touched her, deeply. But she knew better than to accept it right away.

She was not ready yet. Not for this much responsibility of becoming the leader of SG-1. There were some of the Colonel's decisions in the past five years that she didn't agree with, and knew that she couldn't do them. Even though they were the right ones. 

They talked to General Hammond, about his retirement plan and her need for guidance. After much consideration, the General agreed and even gave them some advice. That was why three of the brightest SGC officers were included in their plan. Hammond said that it would be a great chance for her to practice her leadership skills with a team of her own and the team could benefit from the Colonel's training. He *was* one of finest officers that the Air Force had to offer, after all. 

Sam and the Colonel spent two days to hand-pick her team. Personal files were read, SG-team leader's recommendations were sought and a simple test was conducted. In the end, Captain Green from SG-6, Lt. Reed from SG-7 and Lt. Halle from SG-9 were selected. 

She really shouldn't have let the Colonel talk her into choosing them. Even though they were fine officers, each of them had some personal issues. 

Green, the Captain, was a tough man through and through. Brown hair, brown eyes, well-built body, broad shoulders, a real heart-throb. A likeable guy overall, someone that you could trust with your life. But sometimes, he let his emotions get the better of him and let his fists do the talking instead. 

Lt. Reed had a degree in Biological Science, a bright scientist in addition to being a fine officer. Red hair, green eyes, slim build, freckled complexion, full of life, attitude and a joker. He and the Captain seemed to bond quickly, and became the best of friends. His problem was that he was too ... scientific, he didn't really like being a soldier, although he was a good one. He thought that he wasn't cut out to be one; he joined the Air Force because it was his family tradition. 

And the last member of what was the so-called SG-Alpha team was Lt. Halle. Short black hair, brown eyes, slender, tall and the quiet one. She was a Linguist, spoke eight languages fluently, including Goa'uld. She was half-Hispanic, her mother was from Venezuela while her father was American. She had that chip-on-the-shoulder-thing of being a woman in the Army. Other than that, she was also a perfectly good officer. 

She got along well with Reed, but sometimes she could be involved in a very heated argument with Green over nothing. Sam recognised their interaction; it was like watching the Colonel and her for the very first time. There were definitely sparks between them, but Green had already had a girlfriend outside the SGC. And Reed of course, being the chirpy person that he was, always tried to push their buttons without even realising it. It was not like they wanted each other just yet, but ...

Sam chewed her bottom lip, she really didn't need this unresolved sexual tension inside her team. Not at all.

---

Colonel O'Neill checked the timer. 

"Not bad, you have 7 minutes and 46 seconds left."

The flustered and exhausted SG-Alpha stood in front of him. They had just arrived in front of the base's entrance where he was waiting a few moments ago.

He looked up from the watch. "I'll see you again next week." Sam didn't miss the glint in his eyes when he added, "15 minutes off the clock for the run back." And with a sly smile, he continued, "Dismissed."

The special team only worked together two days a week because they still had to carry on with their missions in their respected teams. Usually the training started at 06.00, and the Colonel would give them weapon or tactical tips to start the day. After a quick break, they would go to the empty warehouse near the mountain and a scenario would be played. The new team needed to solve it as best as they could and the Colonel would give his opinion and feedback after it was over. Then, they would end the day by running from the training facilities back to the base. 

She could tell from his reaction that he was having such a good time at her expense. Her eyes narrowed as the rest of her team-members vanished inside the mountain, leaving the two senior officers alone.

"Something you want to say to me, Carter?" 

"I have a question, Sir."

"Let's hear it."

She crossed her arms in front of her chest; her breathing was still irregular. "You seemed to enjoy this training better than the last one, Sir."

His brow furrowed. "Which one?"

"The one with the new recruits. Don't you remember? The one with Eliot, Hailey, Grogan and Satterfield." She tried to refresh his memory.

He started to walk back inside the mountain. "Oh, them."

She followed him and started to walk by his side, "Yes, *them*."

"Well, they were still green. I needed to put on my best intimidating face and plant some sense into their heads. Your team however ... it consists of experienced officers that deserve recognition. Don't get me wrong Carter, I'll shout and scream at you if you deserve it."

"I'll try my best not to disappoint you, Sir." 

He glanced at her knowingly. "I know you will."

After exchanging a small smile, they continued their journey down the base in the elevator. He stopped at Level 22, where the mess hall was. She promised him to meet him there after refreshing herself. She headed towards the woman's locker room and took a hot shower to get rid of the sweat and dirt from her body. 

Stepping out from the shower, she walked to her locker to get dressed. 

"Major," greeted Halle. She also had just finished her shower and had already put on her clothes. She was still rummaging though her locker, as if looking for something.

"Lieutenant, ready to go home?" Sam asked casually while putting her pants on.

"Yes, Ma'am." 

"Good. Get a good night's sleep then."

"I will."

The Major had finished getting dressed when she noticed the Lieutenant was still inside the room. She looked nervous, her head was down, staring at her own hands that were crossed in front of her.

"Something wrong, Halle?" Her curiosity was piqued.

Halle jerked her head up. "We want to say that we're sorry, Ma'am. For acting so childish today," she blurted out. 

Sam gave her a speculative look. "Did the rest of the team put you up to this?"

She shook her head. "No, Ma'am. I got the short straw." The dead-pan expression on her face almost made Sam believe her words, but she knew better. Halle did this on her own initiative. Although SG-Alpha had only been formed for about a month now, the invisible bond was already there, ready to be nurtured by friendship and trust. 

Throwing the wet towel into the laundry basket, Sam said, "I don't mind you bickering, but I would appreciate it if you didn't do it during training. You have to take this seriously Halle, this is a rare opportunity for all of you to learn from one of the most senior officers. Don't screw this up just because you can't keep your anger and irritation under control. Tell that to Green and Reed as well. I won't hesitate to replace you with someone else if I don't see you work hard enough in this team. Understood!"

"Yes, Ma'am."

"Good." Sam sighed as soon as she finished her scold. She really wanted to make the best out of this training; the Colonel had put so much effort in this and she would not let her team disappoint him. She would not let *herself* disappoint him. Leadership was not one of her finest qualities, but then again, the Colonel said that it was not a talent either. It was a learning process that came with experience. 

She was ready to go to the commissary and meet the Colonel when she realised that Halle was still standing at the same spot and watching her carefully.

"Something on your mind, Lieutenant?" 

Halle shifted her feet a little. She seemed to consider whether she should speak or not. Her hands were clasped together in front of her.

Sam recognised the hesitation. "Is it something personal?" Her voice was soft and full of concern. Her fatigue was soon pushed aside, Halle was her subordinate, her team. And she would do anything for her team, just like the Colonel would for his. 

Halle licked her lips, she was still unsure. "I heard rumours, Ma'am."

"What kind of rumours?"

"About you and Colonel O'Neill."

She got Sam's full attention now. "Oh ... What did the rumour say?"

"That the whole reason behind this training is that once the Colonel retires and you resume command of SG-1 ..." She didn't finish her sentence.

Sam closed her eyes momentarily, it wasn't something new. It was only natural for the small and close-knit community like the SGC to have some hearsay floating around. And her relationship with the Colonel was an open secret anyway. "That after this is over, the Colonel and I would pursue a relationship? Is that what you were trying to say, Halle?" She kept her voice level and steady as she finished Halle's sentence.. 

Halle was clearly uncomfortable when she replied, "Yes."

A rational and collected Sam would end this conversation by saying that this was none of her business. But she was tired and frustrated, so she stared at the other woman intently. "What if we do?"

Halle's eyes went wide, she didn't expect the question. "Ma'am?"

Sam continued, "Is it against the regulations for a retired officer to go out with another officer who was his former subordinate?"

"Uh ... no."

"So?" Sam shrugged her shoulders. "What's the problem?"

Halle looked thoughtful. "I ... I guess I just didn't see you like that, Ma'am."

"Like what?"

"I see you as a strong and independent woman that doesn't need a man like him and ..."

Sam raised her hand, "Whoa ... stop right there. What do you mean by 'a man like him'?"

Halle began to panic, she didn't mean it to come out like that. "Colonel O'Neill is a good man, and I respect him a lot, Ma'am. But ... but ... " The intensity of Sam's scrutinizing glare had made her stutter. "What I was trying to say was ... I just don't understand."

The earnest confusion on her face had softened Sam's attitude. "You don't understand? About what?"

"Why would the two of you go through this much trouble for a relationship that might not work? There's no guarantee that the two of you would last. I am sorry Ma'am, but sometimes love is just not enough. I respect you and the Colonel a lot. I know that the SGC is his family, and to give it up will be really hard on him. If it doesn't work out, then he might blame you. I guess ... I guess I just don't want to see you two made a big mistake."

Sam was stunned, it had never crossed her mind that other people were also affected by her relationship. Unconsciously, she smiled at her. "What's your dream, Halle?"

"Ma'am?"

"I used to dream I'd become an astronaut when I was a little girl, to go to space in a rocket or a shuttle. It came true, although the rocket part was altered to an alien aircraft."

"Ah ..." Halle was at lost. She didn't know what to say, so she let the Major continue.

"My dream came alive, but not in a way that I wanted it to. I never dreamt about a parasitic alien creature that would threaten Earth on a daily basis ... or befriending a grey alien ... or having to face a mechanical spider ... or blowing up a planet ... or turning my father into a Tok'ra. I never dreamt about all that, but they came in a package with my space-travelling desire. Those extra things were beyond my control, there was nothing that I could do about it except deal with it the best I could."

She approached the Lieutenant and put a hand on her shoulder. "And now, I have another dream. I will try my best to make it come true, no matter what the outcome is. Because I know that I will not regret it."

She gave her a squeeze on her shoulder before she left her alone in the locker room. The young Lieutenant needed time to think about her words.

---

To be continue

So, what do you think so far?

blue-topaz@lycos.com


	2. Part 1b

NOTE: Thanks again for JayBee-Bug who beta-read this. This is the rest of Part 1

***

"What about P7Y 688?"

Sam couldn't repress a yawn, thankfully the Colonel missed it, he was engrossed in reading the file in front of him. They were in the mess hall, discussing SG-Alpha's first mission off-world. "688? Wasn't that a desert?" 

"Yes," confirmed the Colonel.

"Can we go somewhere with a lot of trees, Sir?" 

He looked up from his reading material. "Why?"

"Because I like plants," she grinned at him.

"Oookayyy," he stalled. "What is the relation between you liking plants and SG-Alpha's destination?"

"SG-Alpha is my team, thus I have a say in it. Besides, it's not often that the General offers a team an option of where to go." She yawned again.

"Get some rest, Major. I'll see what I can do about your bias for a green planet," he ordered.

She shook her head persistently. "No Sir. I'll get some rest when we're finished with this."

"Carter," he warned her.

"This is my team, Colonel," she insisted. "I should be here when the decision is made."

He let out a sigh at her stubbornness. "Fine, fine. What about P6 something something something, you know, the one that SG-1 visited last month? Lots of green leaves scattered around the planet. You said that you wanted to go back there to explore the planet further for conducting more tests on its dirt."

"P6X 7Y3? But we've been there already, Sir. I want to go someplace new. Somewhere exciting."

"Picky, aren't you?"

"I learned that from you," replied Sam.

He chose not to respond to that. Instead, he asked, "Do you have any planet in mind then?"

She searched her sleep-deprived brain for some data. "What about P89 768?"

"Huh?" He flipped the file-folder in front of him furiously. It contained all the information about all the 'visitable' planets that the SGC managed to establish a wormhole with. 

She smirked. "It's a new one, Sir. We've just sent a MALP through last night. Early observation indicates that the planet is inhabitable but there were no signs of civilisation. However, when we sent the UAV, we spotted a temple. Now, we couldn't decide who the temple belongs to, but ..."

"Stop right there! You've planned this all along, haven't you?" he accused. He was always quick to figure out any kind of plot when he encountered one.

Her eyebrows rose. "Yes," she admitted. "You have to acknowledge that it's the perfect planet for us though." A small smile was playing on her lips.

"So, there was no point in discussing this for the last hour, was there?" His put down the file-folder on the table and closed it.

The small smile transformed into a fully-fledged grin. "And miss our quality time talking about those interesting planets, Sir? Nah."

"You know that I spent a lot of time on this, don't you?"

"I know."

"And I also read every God-damn file just for this. You of course know about that as well, don't you?"

"I wouldn't expect less from you, Sir."

"You *also* know how much I hate reading paperwork, don't you?"

"Sure I do."

"Do you know how many pages I had to read?"

"Somewhere around 200-300 pages if you exclude the cultural details and mineral reports of every planet."

He put his elbows on the table and buried his face in his hands, clearly fighting the urge to scream. 

She leaned towards him, "Are you alright, Sir?"

"Just give me some time, OK." The muffled reply was the only thing that he could say without shouting like a mad man. 

"Listen, I have to go to my lab now. There is some experiment that I need to look at. I'll send the file about P89 769 to your office first thing in the morning." She rose up from her chair. "See you later." 

She walked out from the mess hall a happy woman. Just because she couldn't deny him from having fun at her expense, it didn't mean that she couldn't do the same thing. 

---

"Sam."

Sam lifted her head from the naquada generator. Daniel was standing in front of her lab, holding two steaming mugs of coffee. She could smell the unique blend of the beverage. 

"Hi, Daniel. How are you?"

He walked towards her and handed her one of the mugs. "I'm fine. Here, this is for you. It's decaff by the way."

She accepted the offering gratefully. "Thanks."

"Anytime."

She sipped the hot liquid. "Mmm ... this is really good."

Daniel sat on one of the stools. "So ... how are you?"

"I'm good. Good. A little tired, but good." Her eyes were traveling to the generator. When she didn't hear a response from her friend, she looked back at him. "Something wrong, Daniel?"

Daniel held his mug with both hands and turned it slowly. "Sam, don't you think that you've pushed yourself too far this time?"

"What do you mean?"

He sighed in resignation. "When was the last time you had time for yourself?"

Sam stared at the linguist. She couldn't remember. She couldn't remember the last time she was unoccupied. 

"Sam?" Daniel asked for the second time.

"A long long time ago." She gave him a weak smile. "I've been busy Daniel."

He rolled his eyes. "Of course you have. I know that." He pushed his glasses up. "Just get some rest, OK. You look terrible."

"Jeez, thanks Daniel. You sure know how to make a girl feel appreciated."

"You're welcome."

This time it was Sam who rolled her eyes. Some men just didn't know how to make a woman feel like a woman. Daniel chuckled at her indignant expression. 

"Well, no pain, no gain, remember?" Sam said.

"If you have too much pain, you will pass out before you can gain anything, am I right?" he countered her statement.

She had to congratulate her friend for his relentless efforts at making her see his point. "Okay, okay. I get it. Dr. Daniel Jackson thinks that Major Carter has to go to bed now, and there is nothing that the Major can say to make the Doctor leave her alone. Fine. Just let me shut the lab down and I'll go to my quarters and sleep. Happy now?" Her smile belayed the irritation and sarcasm in her voice.

Daniel could only shake his head and smile back to her. "Yes, I am." 

---

Major Samantha Carter started her day by sending a copy of the preliminary report on P89 768 to General Hammond's and Colonel O'Neill's offices. Then, she went to her lab to have a meeting with her lab assistants to discuss the progress of their projects so far. Grabbing a quick lunch, she continued by checking her e-mails and replying to them. The scientists in the SGC and Pentagon had a very close relationship; they often exchanged ideas over the phone and e-mail because of the distance. 

The day was still young but she felt weary already; it was like her energy was drained from her body. A brief visit to Daniel's lab and Janet's infirmary was just a desperate attempt to stay focused on what she was doing. This was the first time in many years that she was really considering going home early. But she still had a debriefing to do and some reports to finish. So she pushed her fatigue aside and did what was asked from her. 

The debriefing went along smoothly, this was Daniel's debriefing on their last mission on P45 T69. She then spent the rest of her day in her lab, typing the reports up and reading the data from her experiments, trying to make sense of the numbers that were scattered on a piece of paper.

"Major Carter."

She rubbed her bleary eyes before she replied, "Teal'c. What can I help you with?" It was rare of him to come and visit her in her lab like this. He was standing near the doorframe, his hands behind his back.

Teal'c stepped inside. One of his eyebrows lifted. "We have a prior engagement. Do you not remember?" 

Sam closed her eyes and cursed, "Oh, shit." She had asked him for a private tutorial on Jaffa 101 once a week. And the big guy had gratefully granted her request. 

"When you did not show up at the appointed time, I was concerned," explained Teal'c.

She massaged her temples. "I'm sorry, Teal'c. I guess I just didn't realise that it was time." The clock on her lab's wall indicated that she was indeed 10 minutes late. 

Maintaining his stoic face, the Jaffa said, "Apology accepted, Major Carter. Perhaps we should reschedule our session, it seems that you are in need of rest." 

She smiled at her friend's concern. "I'm okay Teal'c. Just a little tired, but I'm okay." She gathered up all the papers on her desk and put them back in the filing cabinet.

"Are you certain?" 

"I am."

He sighed inwardly. "Very well."

They both left her lab and headed down to Level 27, where his quarters were. Teal'c felt the need to do their sessions in the presence of hundreds of burning candles. It was the Jaffa way to educate their apprenticed, he said. It did give her a new perspective in studying. Sitting on the floor with the illumination of a small fire had presented her with a new experience. It was refreshing to think that way, more intimate and personal. 

Teal'c was a great teacher. He would patiently explain and describe things in detail. Her questions were never left unanswered, and if he had any doubt about anything, he would tell her so. 

When they reached his quarters, he swiftly lit up the candles inside his room while Sam made herself comfortable by sitting in one of the corners of the room, crossing her legs in front of her and resting her back against the wall. As she smelled the burning candles, she wondered exactly how many of them Teal'c really had in his room. 

"Are you ready?" He asked once he sat in front of her.

"Yes." 

"Very well. Today I plan to inform you of the origin of Kel'no'reem. You are probably aware that Jaffa have to perform this ritual to let the symbiote that we carry to ..." he started his 'lecture'.

Sam liked the way Teal'c mixed the cultural and the military strategies. It helped her understand the Jaffa way of life better. Knowledge that she knew would be invaluable in a battle against the Goa'uld. 

Even though Teal'c's narrative was interesting, his steady and calm voice combined with the warm and comfortable environment soon made her eyelids lower gradually as sleep overwhelmed her. 

*** 

"Jack."

Colonel Jack O'Neill averted his eyes from the P89 768 preliminary report that Carter dropped in his office that morning to his friend. They were having dinner together in the mess hall. There was a familiar look in Daniel's eyes that caught his attention. "Yes?"

Daniel held his fork in the air. "How are things going with SG-Alpha?"

Jack knew that it wasn't what the archaeologist really wanted to talk about, but he played along. "Fine. They're getting along fine. Why do you ask?"

"No reason." Daniel shrugged his shoulders and forked some pie into his mouth.

"Okay." If Daniel couldn't be honest with himself, who was he to argue. Jack turned his attention back to the report. 

A minute passed in silence. 

"Jack."

Jack didn't bother to face him this time, he kept reading when he answered Daniel's call, "Yes, Daniel?"

"I ... uhm ... hey, is that the report on the planet where SG-Alpha is going?" Daniel was clearly trying to make conversation with him.

"Yes, it is." Jack said evenly as he lifted his head slightly to face the linguist. 

"Can I see it?"

"Sure. After I finish, you can have it."

"Oh ... OK."

No one said anything. Mentally, Jack gave Daniel 50 seconds before he spoke again. And when the count reached 43 ...

"Jack."

"Yes, Daniel?"

"You ... uh ... are you going to finish that cheesecake?"

"No, Daniel. You can have it if you want to."

"Oh ... OK. Thanks."

The whole encounter was done while Jack had his eyes on the report in his hand. He gave him 40 seconds now. 

"Jack," at exactly 39 seconds, Daniel called his name again. Jack was pleased, he was getting good at this.

"Yes, Daniel?" 

Daniel sighed heavily. "Nothing."

"Whatever you say, Daniel." Jack bit down a smirk. This was just too fun. 

Jack was starting to concentrate on what he was reading again, when --

"Okay, Jack. I'm just going to say it."

Jack looked up and was confronted by a pair of insistent blue eyes. "Say what?"

Daniel wasn't intimidated. "Could you cut Sam some slack? She was exhausted. I have never seen her so shattered like this."

Jack bit his own tongue. He understood perfectly what his friend was saying. He pushed Carter, *hard*. But he only did this for her own good. "I can't."

"You can't or you won't?" 

"Daniel." The warning in his reply didn't go amiss by Daniel. 

Defeated, Daniel pinched the bridge of his nose. "I never understand your military bravado," he said regretfully. He and Teal'c were the first people who Jack and Sam told about their plan. They had expressed their support, but Daniel didn't know that things would turn out this way. 

"You're not supposed to, Daniel. You're a civilian, remember?"

Daniel sighed for the second time. "I just don't want to see her break down."

Jack eyed him carefully. "Carter is tough. You should put more faith in her."

Daniel muttered, "I know. But it doesn't stop me from worrying about her."

"I'd be surprised if you didn't." Jack presented him with a reassuring smile. 

Suddenly, a shadow fell over Jack. He looked up to see Teal'c was standing next to their table. 

"Teal'c, feeling peckish?"

"I do not," Teal'c replied. "However, I wish to inform you that Major Carter has just lost consciousness in my quarters during our session."

"She's fallen asleep on you?" Daniel was intrigued. "Wow, Teal'c, I'm impressed. No one has been able to do that to Sam ... 'till now."

Jack clenched his fists, Daniel had made his point. It was unusual for Carter to let her guard down like this. This past month had finally taken its toll on her. But he couldn't do anything about it, this was her problem. He could only wait until she asked for his help. Carter was a very independent individual. 

Daniel continued, "Jack, this is what I'm talking about. You know her as well as I do. This is not like Sam."

Jack closed his eyes for a moment. Realising that he didn't have a solution for this problem, he looked at Daniel, and then Teal'c. "What would you guys do if you were me?"

Daniel was the first to offer his advice. "What about giving the Alpha team less physical training next time."

"Can't do that Daniel. The training is not all about her, I still have the other members to think about. I can't change the training just because Carter's not at her peak."

Daniel tried again. "Order her to take this weekend off."

"What's the point of giving her an order that she's likely to disobey?"

Daniel slumped back into his chair as he conceded.

Teal'c leaned down and spoke to Jack in a low voice so that no one else could hear what he was saying. Jack's eyes went wide as the Jaffa's words registered in his brain. As Teal'c straightened up, he let out a small smile. "I know for certain that Major Carter cannot refuse your proposition this time."

Jack face was lit up with a grin when he said, "You know what Teal'c, I think you're right."

Daniel watched the interaction with great interest. "What proposition?"

The Colonel and the Jaffa exchanged a conspiring glance before Jack got up from his seat and left the bewildered linguist in the dark. He had to deliver a proposal that his Major could not deny.

"Teal'c?" Jack could hear Daniel ask for Teal'c's explanation before he got out of the room. He'd be more than happy to leave the task of briefing the archaeologist in the Jaffa's hands. 

He headed towards Teal'c's quarters, where Carter was. He entered the room quietly because he didn't want to disturb the sleeping Major. She was leaning heavily against the wall, Teal'c had draped a blanket over her. He picked up one of the cushions that Teal'c used to meditate and sat himself in front of her.

She looked so peaceful and frail at the same time, and her awkward position didn't disturb her much needed rest. He watched her slow and regular breathing; he was not going to wake her up just yet. She needed the nap and he needed to think about what he was going to say. He knew that Teal'c wouldn't come back to his quarters until he informed the big Jaffa about the success of his plan. 

---

Jack watched her eyes flutter open slowly. Her brain hadn't woken up just yet as the figure in front of her started to take shape. He smiled at her. "Welcome back."

Sam blinked her eyes twice and as her brain caught up with her body, she blushed furiously. "Sir ..." She gripped her blanket tightly and held it close to her chest. "What are you doing here?" 

"Oh you know. A noisy Jaffa told me about a Major who invaded his quarters. He asked for my help to kick the offending Major away so that he could finally get some sleep." He *so* enjoyed making her uncomfortable. It brought out a different side of her that he rarely saw. 

"Argh ..." She lifted the blanket up to cover her head in an attempt to hide her embarrassment. 

Jack pulled the blanket away. "Come on Carter. I don't remember you being the shy type?"

"Just let me die in peace, Sir. If it's not too much to ask." She refused to let go of the material. 

He laughed at that. "Sorry to disappoint you, but I can't do that. Now, let the blanket go, Major."

With some protest that came out in the form of gibberish and incoherent muttering, she obliged. He then threw the blanket, landing it on Teal'c's bed.

"Carter ..." Jack started. "Do you have anything to do this weekend?"

The Major stretched. "Uhm ... I think so. There's this project that I've been meaning to do. I haven't managed to find the time to actually do it, so this weekend is the perfect time to start it. Why do you ask?"

He stood up and offered his hand to her. "Is it a really important project?"

She took his hand and pulled herself up. "Not really, it's a personal one."

"So ..." He let her hand go, contrary to his desire to hold it much longer. "Do you *have* to do it this weekend?"

She eyed him suspiciously. "Well, I suppose I could do it *next* weekend, but I was hoping to ..."

He cut her off, "Come fishing with me."

"… do it ... " She trailed off as his invitation registered inside her brain. And then she seemed to find an interesting spot on the floor. 

Panicking as he watched her speechlessness, he rambled, "You know. Minnesota, land of sky-blue water, mosquitoes, the great outdoors, home of the ..."

"Yes." 

Jack couldn't believe his ears. "Huh?"

She cocked her head and bit her lip. "I said 'yes'."

"Ah," was all he managed to say. It never crossed his mind that she would agree so easily. But then again, something had changed. The 'things' between them were more subtle now, more assured. A comfortable silence was exchanged between them. "Good, good. Great even. Fantastic," he prattled along. Relief and joy washed over him

She was clearly amused by his reaction. "Uhm, how do we get there?"

"Let me worry about that. You just get yourself ready for a relaxing weekend," answered Jack.

"OK."

"OK." 

They were going to his cabin, *together*. Jack couldn't be any happier than he already was. It was good to know that she finally cashed in on that long overdue invitation. 

"I better go back to my quarters now, I think I invaded Teal'c's territory long enough." Carter made a move towards the door and opened it. Before she shut it, she turned around to face him, "Could you please blow all the candles out before you leave the room, Sir? It's not safe to leave burning candles unattended. Good night."

He was still in high spirits when he nodded, he didn't realise just *yet* how many candles there were in Teal'c's room. 

***

Samantha Carter was head over heels. 

Definitely.

She never thought she could feel this strongly about anything. But the clear sky, the lines of green trees, the gorgeous lake and the sound of the wild-life had made her love it more. 

Oh yeah, Samantha Carter was in love with her CO's cabin scenery. 

"Wow ... this is beautiful," she said out loud. 

"I'm glad you like it ... But please Carter, could you help me with our luggage first? You'll have time to enjoy the panorama later on. I won't bother you, I promise." 

She turned around to see him holding two duffel bags in each hand. One was hers and the other was his. 

She grinned at him. "You're doing a good job at it. I don't think you need my help."

He stepped in front of his cabin's door. Transferring one bag to the other hand, he then used his free hand to fish out his key and opened the lock. "So, you don't mind me rummaging through your bag?"

Hastily, she went to his side and snatched her bag away from him. There was some stuff in her bag that she didn't want him to see. Women's stuff. 

"Thought so." Smirking, he opened the door and stepped inside. She glared at him, but to no avail. He continued, "We have to clean the cabin a bit. It's been a while since I last came here."

Sam took a good look at the cabin. It was pretty spacious despite the outer appearance. There was a fireplace on one of the walls, a small but quite modern kitchen one the other side and some tables and chairs. "Where can I put my stuff?" 

He opened another door and pointed inside. "This is your room. We need to change the bedding." 

She peered over his shoulder to see a small room with a single bed in it. There was a small wooden table at the side of the bed. He stepped inside and opened the window. A small breeze caressed her as she smelled the fresh outdoors. There was something particularly pleasant about Earth's nature that never ceased to amaze her.

"I hope this is OK for you."

"It is. Thank you," she said sincerely as she put her bag on the table.

"Let me show you the bathroom."

He then gave her a little tour around the cabin before he went outside to the small shed adjacent to his cabin where he kept the generator. No electrical company was sane enough to offer their services to this secluded small cabin. The generator was mainly used to power the lights, the water pump, the water heater, the small fridge and numerous kitchenware. 

Sam put a clean sheet on her bed and the Colonel's. His room was just next to hers, a bit bigger with a double bed in it. She opened the windows to let the fresh air circulate inside the small cottage. After that, she cleaned the kitchen and the sink. 

She went to the car to get their groceries out from the backseat. They took a three hour long flight from Colorado to Minneapolis early in the morning and rented a car at the airport. After a roughly two hour drive, they stopped at a local store to shop for food. And a fifteen minute drive had finally seen them arrive at their destination. Sam spent most of the journey sleeping, and the Colonel didn't seem to mind. 

As soon as she finished putting their food inside the fridge (it wasn't working yet as the Colonel was still working on the generator) and the cupboards, she started to swept the floor. It was a wooden floor, the Colonel had showed her earlier where the broom and the dustpan were. 

"I never saw you as a domestic goddess." 

She spun around to see her CO was standing at the door, wiping his dirty hands on a cloth. "There's always a first time for everything."

He smiled warmly. "I guess so. The generator is up and running, but it usually needs half an hour before the electricity starts to work properly," he informed her. 

"Do you want me to look at it?" 

"No, it's OK. It's an old generator."

She nodded and continued her chores. When they finished cleaning everything up, he took her for a quick stroll around the lake and had a picnic near the lake. She enjoyed it immensely, being close with him and feeling comfortable around him. 

The Colonel didn't want to talk about work. Every time a working related subject came up, he would refuse to discuss it and skirted the issue. It was a bit off-putting at first. 

"Don't talk about the SGC, Carter. Talk about something else."

"But Sir, my life revolves around SGC. What else can I talk about?"

Even though they were miles away from any other human being, the military still had a strong hold on them. But she didn't mind, because this was who they were. 

"Well, you could always talk about ... Cassie. Tell me about her."

"You know her."

"Pretend that I don't."

"I'm not good at this."

"Try. Come on."

"Well, Cassie is my friend's daughter. She's a very bright young lady and I love her. I watched her grow up and am very proud of her. She just got a new boyfriend last week."

"WHAT!? Who is it? Who's his parents?"

"You don't know Cassie, remember?"

"Like Hell I don't. I want a name and I want it now."

She only gave him her laughter as the answer. That was the ice breaker; they talked about everything after that. 

About her family. 

"Mark always blamed dad for mom's death, but I believe that if mom were still alive, he would be a Colonel right now."

About his family.

"Sometimes, I dream about Charlie."

"You do?"

"Yes. I miss him."

"I'm sure he misses you too."

About her habit of talking to her plants.

"You gave your plants an astrophysics lecture?"

"Yes, I pretended they were the audience. It helps me practice speaking in front of large spectators. Besides, they grow better if you just spend a little time talking to them. They have feelings too, you know."

"..."

About his desire to have a dog.

"What are you going to name your dog if you ever get one?"

"I'm going to name him Thor, what do you think? Carter ... Carter, are you alright? Did you just choke on something? Here, have something to drink."

About her cat, Schroedinger. 

"He was a stray cat. I found him in front of my apartment one day. Still a kitten then, he looked so lost and he was staring at me, I just couldn't ignore him. So I adopted him instead."

"Why did you name him after a mad scientist? I don't get that."

"Sir?"

"Well, that Scroedinger guy was proposing a way to kill a cat, right?"

"He never actually did it, Sir. It was just a theory."

"Still, don't you think that you were being unfair to the poor cat? He was reminded of that crazy guy and what he was going to do to his fellow furball every time you called his name."

"..."

About his obsession with 'The Simpsons'.

"Why do you think that Homer Simpson is the greatest American ever?"

"Why not?"

And then he taught her how to fish. 

"Teal'c is right. There is no fish in the lake."

"Carter, I told you before and I told you again now. This is not about the fish, this is about *fishing*."

"You mean holding onto a rod at one end with a string attached to the other end and doing nothing at all?"

"Ah ... I like the way you illustrate it."

"You mean you agree with me?"

"Sure, why not? You're the genius."

"Colonel ..."

"Shhh ... just enjoy it Carter. Don't talk too much, you'll scare the fish."

"I though you said that this was not about the fish."

They didn't catch any fish, but Sam did get the point of *fishing*. It was all about doing 'nothing at all', it was about sitting there, taking pleasure in the peace and appreciating nature. And to her surprise, she enjoyed it. She enjoyed how her brain didn't have to work hard, and all her worries seemed to dissipate. She didn't have to be Major Carter or Doctor Carter when she was fishing, she was simply a human being who needed an escape from her daily routine. 

The Colonel cooked their dinner. It was grilled fish (they bought it earlier), marinated with the O'Neill family secret (or so he said) accompanied with mashed potatoes and side salad. They ate outside as the weather was still warm that time of the year. Sam was glad that she finally had the courage to go fishing with him. It was relaxing and she had such a great time. 

He walked her to her room and threatened her before she went to bed.

"Okay, this is *vacation*, remember? I don't want to hear you leave your room before at least 1000 hours. Ah, ah, ah ... no argument on this one. If you wake up much earlier than that, try to go back to sleep. If you break this rule, I get out of my bed, put you inside your room and lock you up there until the clock shows 1000. Understood?"

"What if I need to go to the toilet?"

"Okay, going to the toilet is permitted, that's it."

"And if I'm thirsty?"

"Take a glass of water into your room."

"What if I run out of water and am still thirsty?"

"Take a jug of water instead, how's that?"

"What if I was feeling hungry at night?"

"Here, have a pack of biscuits." 

"And if I was sleepwalking?"

"Carter, don't test my patience."

"Just asking."

She slept well that night, she wasn't even dreaming. It was the kind of sleep that made you feel refreshed in the morning. Her military body-clock woke her up at exactly 0500 hours in the morning, but obeying her CO's order, she tried to go back to sleep. She woke up for the second time around 0940 hours. Amazed at what a few extra hours of sleep could do to her, she felt like she could face anything. It was a great feeling.

She was tempted to get out of her room, but knew better than to ignore the warning that the Colonel had given her last night. So she dragged the small table to the window and sat on it while enjoying the beautiful view. 

They had pancakes at breakfast, another O'Neill family secret recipe. After that, they had another round of fishing before they had lunch and closed the cabin. They had to catch a plane back to Colorado. 

Sam surprised herself by feeling disappointed when their weekend away had to end. She liked being around 'Jack', even though he was as bossy as the Colonel. She tasted what the future with him would be like, and she loved it. Just being around him made her feel whole and content. 

She knew that she was lucky to know him. And she swore not to take it for granted. 

---

"So, how did the fishing go?" Daniel was trying to pry for some information about Sam and the Colonel's weekend trip.

"It was great, Daniel." Sam gave him a fake smile deliberately, refusing to give him any details. 

The weekend away had really improved her moral. She could concentrate more to her work now as opposed to last week when she felt like she was forced to do her job. Last week, there was no satisfaction and joy in doing her work, but now? Now she was the old Samantha Carter, the SGC's workaholic astrophysicist. 

"Oh come on Sam. I just want to know whether something interesting happened there." 

"We fished. That's what happened."

"Define 'fishing' for me, will you?" His eyebrow rose suggestively. 

"Daniel," exclaimed Sam. 

His face was a picture of innocence. "So, nothing happened, huh? I guess I gave Jack too much credit."

She sighed. "We're not a couple of hormone-driven teenagers you know, we're responsible adults. There are some lines that shouldn't be crossed." 

He smiled. "I know, I know. But I'm glad for you, you look much happier and more relaxed than before the trip. I just wonder whether it has anything to do with this 'fishing' activity that you did this weekend."

She glared at him, Daniel was merciless at teasing. "Doctor Jackson, did you come to my lab today just to have a chit chat?"

"Touché. You've been hanging around Jack for too long, you know that?"

"You hang around him more often than I do."

"But he never took me 'fishing'." Daniel smirked. He refused to drop the subject.

"I'll let him know that you feel left out. I'm sure that he would be happy to invite you to go fishing with him next time." She crossed her arms in a defiant manner. 

"Make sure you do that. I'd love to discover the joy of 'fishing'."

"I'm sure you will," she replied dryly.

Daniel put up his hands. "Okay, enough about fishing. I came here to ask if I can pick you up for lunch."

"You go ahead, Daniel. I have a briefing today, got to prepare the slides."

Daniel looked disappointed. "Oh, is this about SG-Alpha's first mission?"

"Yes. The General has already given us a go for the mission."

"Good luck then, Sam. I'll see you around." He started to walk off from her lab when he said, "Hey, if you have any problems, just give me a shout, OK. I know that I can't teach you how to fish or anything like that, but ..."

"DANIEL!" 

---

Sam knocked at Teal'c's door. A few seconds later, he opened the door.

"Teal'c."

"Major Carter. To what reason do I receive this honour?"

Sam smiled at the politeness as she handed him a bag. "This is for you, Teal'c. As 'I'm sorry' and 'Thank you' gestures combined in one."

Teal'c eyed the bag, but he didn't make any move to receive it. "I can not accept it. You owe me no apology."

"Teal'c, I slept on you while you were talking. It was rude."

"It was understandable, you were exhausted." 

She knew that there was no point in contradicting Jaffa logic. "Okay, this is a 'thank you' gift then. For being so patient with me when sharing your knowledge about the Goa'uld and for being my friend."

Teal'c smiled and bowed his head slightly. "Then it is my pleasure to receive this gift." He reached down into the bag and pulled out the object inside it. He raised an eyebrow.

"Ah, it's some sort of snack, try it. It's good. You can only find them in the UK. One of my friends just came back from there and she brought some of them back with her. I hope you like it."

"Intriguing. I will try these ... 'Jaffa Cakes'." He was confused and yet fascinated at once.

"You do that. Once again, thanks Teal'c."

"You are most welcome."

She looked down at her watch. "Listen, I got to run now. I have a briefing for SG-Alpha's mission in a minute. I'll talk to you later."

"Major Carter." Teal'c put a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "I have full confidence in your abilities." And with that he closed the door. 

She couldn't help but wonder whether it was the Jaffa way of saying 'Good luck'.

---

General Hammond, Colonel O'Neill and SG-Alpha were in the briefing room. They were having the briefing about the much awaited mission.

"This is a standard exploration mission, we'll spend approximately 72 hours on the planet. Do you have any questions?" Sam asked her team as soon as she briefed them about the planet. The General and the Colonel had been informed about the details of the mission earlier.

Reed raised his hand. 

"Lieutenant," Sam nodded at him, giving him permission to speak.

"Which SG team will accompany us on this mission?"

"We'll be going alone."

"But the handbook ..."

The General cut him off, "I know what the handbook says. When a team is lead by a new CO, they will be paired with another team for their first mission, I am aware of that fact. But this team is different. Major Carter might be a new CO, but she not new to this program. She's gone through the gate before and so have the rest of you. You are not a new team, just a collection of SGC officers."

Sam knew that the General put so much faith in her, and sometimes it was frightening. 

Now it was Green who raised his hand. 

"Captain?"

"Do we have any idea at all on who the temple might belong to?"

"Not yet. The UAV couldn't provide us with more details."

"Are we going to bring extra weaponry? We couldn't be too careful. For all we know, the temple could be a Goa'uld fortress." Green had always had that over-suspicious military mind.

"We're going to gear up like we normally do. But we'll proceed with caution. Let's hope that it's just a temple."

A few more questions and the meeting was concluded. The rest of the party had left the room, leaving her and the Colonel alone.

"First mission, huh? Cool."

She cleared her throat. "Thank you, Sir."

His eyes never left hers, he was sitting across the table. "Nervous?"

She slumped back into her chair and took a big breath. "Not really. It's just going to be weird to go out there without you guys watching my back." 

"Your team will do that for you." 

She stood up from her chair and walked to the big window, staring down at the Stargate. It looked magnificent and graceful, a few technicians were doing a routine check-up on it. She touched the glass, as suddenly some trepidation was creeping into her mind. "I know. It's going to be different, though." 

He approached her and stood beside her. "You'll do fine." And just as simple as that, he drove her anxiety away. 

***

"How was the meeting?" Daniel asked.

"Great, great. It went well. They were scheduled to go there in a week's time," Jack answered absently. He had just entered Daniel's lab, Teal'c was also there. He had promised to meet them as soon as the meeting was over. He picked up a random picture from Daniel's table and studied it.

Daniel typed something down on his computer keyboard. "Thanks Jack."

"What for?" 

"Taking care of Sam. She looks more focused now compared to last week." 

He looked up from the picture. "She's my friend too, Daniel. You don't have to thank me."

"Is there something that you wish to share with us, O'Neill?" Teal'c asked. He noticed the weariness in him.

Jack ruffled his hair. "Carter's nervous. It's so unlike her." 

Daniel frowned in confusion. "Why shouldn't she be? This is a big step for her."

"Daniel, this is Carter we're talking about. The one that is always pulling great ideas out of her butt ... head, out of her head." He grimaced inwardly at the sight of a growling archaeologist and a stern Jaffa. He slipped, so what? Was he supposed to be unaware of her attributes? He had eyes, for crying out loud. 

"Well, Sam is also human. She has fears of failure too. She doesn't want to let you down."

"Nonsense. She will never let me down," he admonished. It didn't sound like the Carter he knew. 

"What if she does let you down? Don't tell me that it's not possible. People make mistakes, and Sam realises that. Just because she hasn't made a big one, it doesn't mean that she won't," reasoned Daniel.

He didn't have the answer for that. It never crossed his mind that his trust in her could turn into a burden. He didn't mean it to be that way. 

"Major Carter is lacking in confidence," interjected Teal'c who had been watching his friend silently.

"Sam is anything but lacking in confidence," dismissed Daniel.

"She does not believe that she can be a great leader as O'Neill is."

"Well, Jack's not an ordinary man, he's a hard act to follow." 

"Hard does not mean impracticable."

He listened as his friends were arguing, both had valid points. But he always knew one thing for sure, he could always count on her. 

"Guys, let's stop this right now. We could talk until we dropped dead, but she's the only one who can solve her problem, whatever problem that she has."

"What if she can't solve it?" Daniel was clearly concerned about her.

"Then, we'll be there for her. Right?"

Teal'c smiled. "I must concur."

Daniel smiled too. "Me too."

"Good."

*End of Part 1*

Part 2 will be posted as soon as it is finished ... :)


	3. Part 2a

Thanks to Sandra who beta-read this ... Enjoy the story guys.

***

**Part 2: Ing Madya Mangun Karso**

_"_ _From__ the middle, a teacher should act as a motivator. "_

*

*

*

The day had finally come.

Sam leaned back against the wall and held her gaze with the Colonel. They were inside the SG-1 gear room, as she prepared for her upcoming mission. She had put on her green camouflage fatigues, ready to lead her team. He was still wearing his black regulation shirt, sitting on the bench situated at the middle of the room, watching her.

"This is it." Her stomach was still in turmoil and she was reminded of her first trip through the gate - excitement and apprehension mixed perfectly.

"You'll do fine, Carter." He tilted his head up and smiled encouragingly.

She bit her lower lip. "I wish I had your positive attitude towards life, Sir."

He stood up and walked to her. "Are you nervous?" A pair of brown eyes interrogated her.

She couldn't lie, couldn't pretend. Not when he looked at her like that. She lowered her head, tearing her eyes away from him. "Yes."

"You should be. Overconfidence could endanger your team."

"Over paranoia could make me indecisive."

He pulled her to his arms, holding her loosely. A friend's hug, nothing more, nothing less. 

"Don't be something you're not."

She buried her head in his shoulder, her worries ebbing away little by little. She would love to stay in these arms forever, where she didn't have to fight her feelings anymore, where she didn't have to force herself to work harder. Because he accepted her just the way she was. 

Giving her a last squeeze, he let her go reluctantly. He cleared his throat and said, "Now, you get out there and kick some alien butt. That's an order, Major!" 

She presented him with a mock salute. "Yes, Sir." And then with a straight face she added, "If we could find one in an uninhabited planet ... Sir."

"You know what I mean." He groaned and shook his head, but smiled nevertheless. He gestured at the door. "Ready to go?" 

Sam let out a breath and counted to three. Determination was written all over her face. "Let's do it."

He beamed with pride while opening the door. "That's my Carter."

*My* Carter? 

She was gob smacked ... but in a good way. The Colonel had already walked out of the room, missing her reaction. Did he realise what he had just said, or was it a slip?

*His* Carter...

"Carter, are you coming?" He peered through the door, confused as to why she was still in the room. 

*His* Carter.

She was *his*. She liked the sound of that and definitely could get used to that idea. He might not mean it the way she interpreted it, but she didn't care. She was sure that she was grinning like the cat that had just eaten the canary when she answered, "I'm coming, Sir."

They were walking side by side through the corridor, heading towards the Gate room. The SG-Alpha team was scheduled to embark in around 15 minutes.

"What are you smiling at?" he asked quietly as they reached their destination. The rest of her team was not there yet, but the equipment they needed for the mission was sitting on the ramp. 

"Nothing." She moved to the equipment in order to give them a last inspection. 

He followed her and whispered, "Then, why are you still smiling?"

Oops. She quickly turned her grin into a puzzled look, unsuccessfully. "Sir?"

"Don't play dumb with me, Major. That's my forte, not yours," the Colonel insisted, his eyes clearly twinkling with mirth. He knew that whatever amused her must have been really ... amusing. 

She pursed her lips and concentrated on the equipment. 

He pointed his finger at her face. "See, there's that smug look again." 

She could feel a giggle bursting out. She tried to hide it with a cough when Captain Green and Lieutenant Reed entered the Gate room, laughing loudly at a joke that she didn't hear. It was an interruption that she desperately need.

"Are you prepared, gentlemen?" She turned around to face them. The Colonel let out a grumble when he realised that he wasn't going to get anything out of her now.

"Yes, Ma'am," the two officers replied in unison.

"Where's Halle?" the Colonel asked.

Green snickered. "She was being harassed by Doctor Jackson just outside the elevator, Sir."

She and the Colonel exchanged a look and raised their eyebrows simultaneously.

Reed nudged his friend, giving him a glare. "Doctor Jackson was just giving her some details on what he thought about the temple, Sir."

"Ah ..." That sounded more like the Daniel she knew. He had shown a lot of interest in the shrine after seeing the UAV footage, saying there was something odd about it. For all she knew, any building in the middle of nowhere was odd. But then again, she was no archaeologist. 

Right on cue, Halle appeared in the Gate room with Daniel trotting beside her, engaged in what appeared to be a one-way conversation. Teal'c followed closely behind them.

"Daniel, leave that poor Lieutenant alone!" ordered Jack. The newly arrived trio approached him and Sam.

Daniel rolled his eyes once they were close enough. "Jack, I only gave her some tips on ..."

"Drop it, Daniel. You're pestering her." 

"I'm not."

"You are."

"Am not."

"Are too."

"Am not." 

"Doctor Jackson didn't bother me, Sir. He just informed me of the possibilities of the temple's origin," Halle, who had been watching the two men interact, provided an explanation. She was a linguist, and didn't really have any great knowledge on ancient mythology and history. 

"Really? OK then, don't say that I didn't try to rescue you from his boring lecture," the Colonel addressed the Lieutenant. He always hated it when his efforts went unappreciated.

"Don't bother to answer, Maria, he's just feeling grouchy that Sam is going ... ouch, JACK!" One of the Colonel's elbows made contact with Daniel's stomach. A piercing glare from the Colonel made him back down and look sheepish when he realised what he was about to say. "Sorry, my bad."

Fortunately, Halle was the only one close enough to them. The others didn't seem to hear Daniel's remark. Green and Reed were on the ramp, chatting about something. However, if Halle did notice the slip, she wasn't showing it. She seemed preoccupied with something. 

"Halle, are you OK?" Sam asked out of concern. She didn't want any member of her team distracted for the mission. The planet might be unpopulated, but that didn't mean that it wasn't dangerous. 

She wished that she had more time to know her new team better on a more personal level, so that she would know if any of them showed any signs of problems. But she never really had the chance, not with the tight SGC schedule. Like her, the other members of her team were also members of SG teams and had their own missions to go on. They did manage to have a team night out together once or twice, but it wasn't enough. She was glad that at least this mission would provide that chance. They would be together 72 hours non-stop, watching each other's backs. 

Halle blinked once. "I'm fine, Major."

"Good. Why don't you go and join Green and Reed, I'll be right there in a minute." 

"Yes, Ma'am." She obliged and soon the four SG-1 members were left alone.

Sam looked at them one by one and still couldn't get past the fact they wouldn't be there with her. "See you in 76 hours, then."

"See you, Sam."

"We will be waiting, Major Carter."

"Do your job, Major. And come back home."

The butterflies in her stomach did an impressive manoeuvre. "I'll do my best, Sir." She gave him a salute, turned around and approached her other team.

"Ready to depart?"

"Yes, Ma'am."

She nodded and then looked up to the control room and gave the General a signal. The General acknowledge her and ordered Davis to dial up the gate. 

Sam gave the General a crisp salute and spun around to watch the Gate as it rotated. As soon as the seventh chevron was locked, the Gate came alive, bursting a wave of blue water before it finally settled to form an event horizon. It never ceased to amaze her on how the Stargate took her breath away. Every single time. The way the translucent blue puddle looked so inviting, the way it broke her molecules down into micro molecular size and reassembled them again - it was beyond her. 

"SG-Alpha, you have a go."

***

"Tell me where it is." 

Her voice was always cold and detached. But it didn't dissuade him. It never did.

"NO." 

He'd rather die than give it up. He would not tell her.

"It was mine to start with. You stole it from me. Tell me! NOW!"

Something shone through his eyes. He screamed in agony and his brain felt as if it was scrambled. But he could endure pain. He could endure death. 

However ... he couldn't give her what she wanted. 

He wouldn't.

He gritted his teeth and collected what little power that he still had.

"I will not tell you, EVER." 

The pain was gone and so was the blinding light. He could feel something cold pressed to his throat. A knife. It was his gift for her.

"No one denies my wish."

She always said that, but he disagreed. His eyes fluttered open. The feminine figure in front of him had started to take shape as his vision was coming back.

No one could take his Ravi away from him. No one.

"I do."

The sharp metal moved swiftly.

***

Sam scanned her surrounding. Nothing much, really. Just lots and lots of tree, the way she liked a planet to be. The Stargate was 6 or 7 clicks to the South. The temple was barren, and some local wildlife (they looked like squirrels, but with bunny teeth) had decided to claim the empty building as their nest. 

The temple's walls were made of stone. It was built almost like a tomb, but there was no indication of any bodies so far. Halle said that this temple was probably not a temple after all. She couldn't find any altars or prayer chambers anywhere. The walls were engraved with pictures, not writing. She also said that the best she could do now was take pictures. The parameter was checked and cleared. 

The standard mineral survey was done, but Sam didn't really hope to find anything interesting in the soil. She decided to camp inside the temple. This way, they didn't have to set up their tents and it would protect them from the rain, wind and wild animals. 

She and Reed took the time to explore their surrounding before P89 768's sun set. The temple (or the not-a-temple building) was situated on the top of a hill, and that was why it was easily spotted by the UAV. Reed noticed something unusual down the hill, and said he would like to take a look. Green and Halle were staying back at the temple, setting up the camp and taking pictures. 

"Do you mind sharing what's on your mind, Lieutenant?" She climbed down the hill's slope carefully. Although it was not too steep, the grass was tall, almost reaching her hips, and she had to be careful not to loose her footing. 

Reed was also cautious, knowing he couldn't afford to slip. "Do you see that area that looks like steps over there, Major?" 

She shielded her eyes from the sun with her hand. "Yes."

"Well, I wanted to check whether it occurred naturally or not."

"What do you mean?"

"It looks suspiciously like an irrigation system."

"And that wasn't the work of Mother Nature, was it?"

"Very unlikely, but I couldn't say from here. We have to get closer."

Upon closer inspection, it didn't occur in nature. And in addition to that, a bamboo pipe was also found at the top step, hidden by thick bush. 

"Did you see this, Ma'am? The water would flow from here and once the first step was filled, the water would cascade to the next one. This is so similar to the side inlet irrigation system."

That confirmed the presence of a civilization. Her mind raced. What had forced the people to abandon this perfect planet? There was no sign of any natural disaster or extreme environment change. Was it the Goa'uld? She sighed heavily. This discovery had not changed the mission's objective, but now they had an extra task to do.

To find out what exactly had happened.

"The water is still running," Sam pointed out. The pipe was leaking water. 

"Should we follow the pipe and find out where the water source is?" Reed was more than intrigued, he was curious.

She was tempted to do just that, but dusk was already approaching. "No, we'll do it tomorrow. It's getting dark. We better get back now."

Reed nodded in agreement. He opened his pack and took out a camera. "One minute to take the picture, Ma'am?" He asked for permission.

"Sure, make sure you've got everything."

He gave her a boyish grin and started capturing pictures of the field and the pipeline. Sam straightened her back and adjusted the position of her cap, her short blond hair sticking out from under the green material. 

The gentle breeze and the strong aroma of nature brought her back to the small, secluded cabin in Minnesota. She smiled involuntarily as the memory resurfaced. It was good to know that she could just be with the Colonel as a friend without having to worry about jumping each other's bones at any minute ... although she wouldn't mind if it did happen. 

She had given him a peck on the cheek when he dropped her at her doorstep, though. And it was nice. Very nice.

"Major, I'm done here." Reed's voice pulled her back to P89 768.

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She had work to do, and she intended to give it her best. "Let's go back then."

They climbed back up to the temple in silence. The wind was getting stronger and a light shower caught them midway through. They didn't change their pace though. It was dangerous to go faster. 

"Could I ask you something, Ma'am?"

"Go ahead." 

"You are a 'military brat', aren't you?"

"As bratty as you are." She grinned at the topic of their conversation. Reed came from a military family, the third generation in his family to join the Air Force. His grandfather was a Major, both his father and uncle were Generals, and his cousin was a Captain. 

"Did your decision to join the military have anything to do with your family?"

She took her time to collect her thoughts. "I must admit that my Dad had a little influence in it, but I did it on my own initiative. I always wanted to join NASA, and the Air Force was my stepping stone."

He finished her words. "But somehow along the way, the Stargate program changed your priority."

"Yes," she confirmed his assessment. "Not only that, the program has changed me as a person, too."

"I see."

There was something that was bothering him. That much was obvious. "Why did you ask?"

He didn't reply to her question, keeping his gaze straight in front of him. She could hear the raindrops making contact with the grass as the silence between the two of them encased. She was debating whether she should push the matter further or just let it go when they reached the top. Jogging slightly to avoid the rain, they arrived at the temple in no time. They were slightly wet, but not drenched. The sun had completely disappeared now, replaced by twin moons.

They took off their jackets and lay them near the fire that Green and Halle had managed to start. The camp was set and the MREs were ready to be consumed. They exchanged information during dinner. Reed told them about the discovery they had made while Halle shared her theory on the drawings on the wall.

"I'm not quite sure, but the pictures seemed to be related with each other," she started.

"How so?" Reed asked while spooning some of the chicken-flavoured macaroni and cheese into his mouth.

"Some of the characters in one picture were also found in another. That would suggest that the drawings were telling a story."

Sam put her fork down. It wasn't unheard of. If the planet's population wasn't advance enough to have a written language, the pictures were a perfect way for them to record their history. "Could you guess how the story goes?"

Halle shook her head, her MRE long forgotten. "I'm afraid not. I have some vague ideas, but without any references, it was just a wild guess that goes nowhere."

"OK, first thing tomorrow, you and I are going to report what we have found so far to the SGC. Green, you'll go with Reed and investigate where the pipe leads to. We'll catch up with you as soon as we can."

The three officers nodded in understanding. They spent the rest of the night chatting and comparing tales from their previous missions. Soon, it was time for them to rest. Sam closed her eyes as her head hit the sleeping bag after her watch. She was glad that the mission had gone well so far. 

One day down, two to go.

---

**_To Be Continue _**


	4. Part 2b

AN: Thanks for everyone who had send the review. And to answer Satans Angels questions: no one is going to die (well, at least not yet ... g). Enjoy.

***

Sam and Halle had contacted the SGC and sent the digital images of the drawings on the walls and the irrigation system. The General had promised her to have someone to take a look at it (namely Daniel) and inform her about the finding the next time her team checked in. Now they were on their way to catch up with the boys.

She was slightly upset not to hear the Colonel's voice through the radio. It shouldn't mean anything. The Colonel might be busy with paperwork or in the middle of a very important meeting. But she still couldn't chase the discontentment away. She bit her lower lip and chided herself for being unreasonable and feeling disappointed over nothing. 

The two women walked casually while still maintaining their guard. Their hands were glued to their P-90, ready to use them if the situation called for it.   
"You seem to have gotten over your differences with Green," Sam started a conversation. She had noticed that they were much more comfortable with each other compared to just a few weeks before. 

Halle looked baffled, but quickly recovered. "He's a fine guy once you know him, I guess." She shrugged her shoulder absently. "There are some things that we didn't see eye to eye on, but we talked it over."

Sam's mouth twitched. It was good to know that she didn't have to worry about the way they acted towards each other anymore. She knew that they would behave professionally on a mission, but if there was bad blood between the two of them, their performance would be affected nevertheless.  
"That's good," she replied.

Everything that had happened between them was their business; she wouldn't pry on it.

"Do you mind me asking a question, Major?" Halle fiddled with the strap of her P-90 in an attempt to channel her anxiety. 

Sam looked at her out of the corner of her eye. "Sure."

Halle released a sigh and licked her lips while Sam waited patiently for her to speak up. They kept on walking in silence for around five minutes.

"Any time now would be great, Halle." Sam put on a teasing smile.

Halle blushed in embarrassment. "I'm sorry, Ma'am. I was just trying to figure out how to put it into words."

"Take you time," Sam assured her.

Halle ran her fingers through her short black hair and cursed. "Damn."

Sam was worried now. Halle looked like she was confused and ... lost, her usual confidence and poise replaced by hesitancy. She knew what was bothering her was eating her alive. She carefully asked, "Is it something important?"

Halle's head shot up quickly, answering the question without words. Her brown eyes were filled with surprise. 

Sam slowly added, "You can trust me." 

"I do, Ma'am," Halle instantaneously replied. "It's just that ..."

Sam turned to her side and put one arm on the younger woman's shoulder to stop them both from walking. She took the imitative to ask her questions. "You have a problem?"

Halle nodded meekly. 

"Does it have anything to do with your family?"

She shook her head.

"Your pet?"

Halle smiled at that before answering, "No."

"I give up." Sam raised both of her hands in surrender. "Tell me."

Halle licked her lip. "It's my boyfriend," she finally admitted.

Sam frowned in confusion. "I didn't know you had one."

Inside SGC, almost everybody knew everybody. It was a small community. 

Halle avoided her eyes and looked down, as if she was feeling guilty. "I ... it's not something that I want to be broadcast around the SGC."

Sam was puzzled. Having a boyfriend wasn't something to be ashamed of. "Why not?"

"He used to be my superior officer." Halle's answer came in soft whispered that Sam almost missed it.

He was once her superior officer? 

Sam smiled wryly as she recalled the conversation that they had in the locker room approximately two weeks ago. So, Halle understood a lot more about her situation than she let on.

They started to walk again. 

"Did he mistreat you?" she asked softly, feeling closer to the woman in front of her than before. They were in the same boat, in a manner of speaking.   
"No, no. On the contrary, he was very sweet." Halle smiled sadly at her own admission. 

Sam was exasperated. Halle had a difficult time opening up to her, but Sam could comprehend this; the subject she brought up was a sensitive one. She acknowledged the reason for Halle's confession was because she trusted her. Being a woman in military was not easy. They were vulnerable to prejudice and sexual harassment, and that was why they tended to stick together. 

"Tell me how you two got together." Sam tried to distract her from the main problem for a while. 

Halle tilted her head and closed her eyes, revisiting her past.

"He was my first CO after I graduated from the Academy. I hated him at first. He was the typical hard-ass superior officer." Halle opened her eyes and smirked at her. "Kind of like Colonel O'Neill."

Sam grinned back. "The first impression is always ... fascinating." 

She was reminded of the first time she met Colonel O'Neill. He still hadn't cashed in on her arm-wrestling invitation. Shame really, because she  
was desperate to know whether those particular pair of arms were as strong as they looked. 

"Well, this wasn't fascinating. He was a ..." Halle paused to search for the correct term. "Cold fish." 

Sam suppressed a grin. The word said it all. He was a very private person, who would only interact professionally with his subordinates. 

Halle continued. "He was okay at work, but when we were off-duty, he would ignore me completely and acted like I didn't even exist. I could handle being given a hard time, I could handle being shouted at all the time, but he really ticked me of by disregarding me." She drew a breath. "And then I confronted him about it, and do you know what he said?" Her eyes were full of fire when she recited the event.

Sam had to swallow her laugh. Halle was so alive when she talked about him. "No, what did he say?" 

"He said, while *frowning*, 'Why do you care?' Can you believe that guy?" Her eyes were full of annoyance.

Sam felt a little bit bad because she was enjoying Halle's outburst. "Hey, he was a guy, what did you expect," she tried to offer a reason. 

Halle rolled her eyes. "I swear, Ma'am. He was driving me crazy, so ... so ... so ...," she stammered at the end, her face was red.

"So?" Sam's tone was raised at the end, her eyebrow lifted playfully.

Halle smiled sheepishly. "Come to think of it now, he must've thought I was insane."

"What did you do?" 

"I decided to make give him a taste of his own medicine."

"Halle, what *did* you do?" Sam was beyond curious. She had to know what had happened. 

She grinned proudly. "I stalked him." 

"You didn't." Sam's eyes widened in mock-horror. 

The grin was insistent. "Oh yeah, I turned into a stalker. It was fun, actually. I was really tempted to test how far his cool composure would last. I was  
never the one to refuse a challenge."

Sam was speechless. She hadn't seen that one coming. 

Halle picked up where she left off. "And then his behaviour towards me changed little by little. I guess he was sick of my stalking and thought that acting a little civil towards me would suffice, and I would leave him alone eventually. Unfortunately for him, I wouldn't accept anything less than him losing his self-control, and I swore I'd never stop harassing him until I achieved that."

"Did you?"

The smirk on her face disappeared, replaced by tenderness. "No. He never lost his cool, but we lost our common sense." Her head was tilted to one side. "We became involved. Something that should not have happened." 

Sam studied her for a moment, recognizing the regret in her voice. There were some things that common sense didn't have an answer for. "You can control your actions, but not your feelings. Don't beat yourself up over it."

"That's the problem."

"What do you mean?"

"He resigned for me. Even though I wasn't sure about my feelings for him, he said that he wanted to take the chance. And he did. Everything was fine until a month later when I was offered a position at the SGC. *A month*." Her eyes were wet with tears that threatened to fall. "If only we had waited."

"Do you love him?" Sam asked quietly, careful to avoid upsetting her further.

"I was attracted to him. But love? I don't know. I wish I knew. God, I wish I knew." Sadness, guilt, lament, and pain were blended as one.

"_Major Carter, come in._" Green's urgent voice came though the radio, preventing Sam from comforting the Lieutenant.

"Go ahead," she quickly answered, putting a reassuring hand on Halle's back. 

"_Ma'am, you have to see this_." 

"Where are you?" She barely hid her concern.

"_Just follow the pipe, Ma'am. We'll meet you halfway_."

"We'll be there shortly."

"_Copy that. Green out_."

As soon as the transmission ended, Sam turned towards her companion. "We'll continue this later, OK?" She gave her the reassurance that she would help her through the problem.

Halle could only nod in response.

They had a job to do.

---

"Oh. My. God," was all Halle managed to say.

"She's beautiful, isn't she?" Green beamed with excitement.

Sam still couldn't believe her eyes. She adjusted the binoculars and found it still there, hovering in the sky. It was high enough for the UAV to miss, but low enough for the naked eyes to see its presence, probably just outside the planet's atmosphere.

A Goa'uld mothership.

Just sitting there.

"What should we do, Ma'am?" Reed asked, anxious. 

The pipe had led them to another hill, higher than the one in which the temple was located. There was a tree line on top, and once they went through it, they were greeted by a wide, but shallow waterfall. The lake was relatively small and the water was deep blue. 

Scanning their surroundings with the binoculars, something else caught her eye. She refocused the lens to get a better view. 

A Tel'tac.

The Goa'uld cargo ship was settled on the ground, covered with twigs and dry leaves, located near the lake. It seemed as if it was abandoned a long time ago. 

"What is it, Major?" Green asked curiously.

She handed him the binoculars. "Two o'clock."

He quickly scanned the area. "Man, this is getting better and better."

"What are we going to do now, Ma'am?" Reed was asking for instructions.

Her brain tried to assess the new situation.

A mothership in the sky and a cargo ship on the ground. It didn't look good. There was a big possibility that there was a Goa'uld running around on  
this planet. She didn't know how long that cargo ship had been deserted, or how many Jaffa and Goa'uld were on it when it first landed. The deserted passangers might have used the Stargate to escape the planet, but what about the mothership?

"We're going to check it out. Reed, you wait here and provide cover for us."

Her orders were quickly followed.

Sam, Green and Halle proceeded with caution towards the spacecraft, using the trees and rocks for cover. Weapons were ready, eyes and ears were opened, and step by step they neared their goal.

They could see that the door was open, inviting them to enter. Sam was the first to step through, sweeping the area with the end of her P-90. She checked the control room first, finding it empty.

"I guess no one is home," Green stated.

"Let's hope so."

She was had a nagging feeling about the whole thing. She was missing something, she just didn't know what.

Halle approached the control panel and typed something on it.

"I'm going to try accessing the ship's log. Maybe it could tell us something."

"You do that. Green, let's check the cargo bay."

As they approached the door, Sam and Green took up positions at either side of the entryway. She punched the combination to open the door, and waited anxiously as it parted. Green walked inside slowly while she provided cover.

Deciding that it was safe, Green gave her a nod. She lowered her weapon slightly. An item placed in the center of the room caught her attention.

A sarcophagus.

First a mothership, then a cargo ship, and now a sarcophagus. 

Something odd was definitely happening here.

Green whistled. "I heard that Dr. Fraiser needs one of these babies in her infirmary."

She licked her lips. "Let's open it."

Green pointed his weapon at the golden case while she ran her fingers along its smooth surface. It was covered in symbols that she had never seen before. Her fingers traveled towards the big yellow stone at the top and moved it slightly. The lid opened, thin smoke escaping from the box.

"Jesus Christ."

Sam looked down to see what had made Green react so strongly, and she drew a sharp breath.

A man was lying inside.

His face was pale, his body marked with scars, old and new. He was wearing nothing but a piece of animal-skin cloth that covered his modesty. His skin was light brown, his long black hair tied back neatly, and there was a mark on his forehead. The marking was somewhat consistent to the one on the sarcophagus. It seemed like the box had just finished its job and the man hadn't regain consciousness yet.

"Not a Goa'uld." She couldn't sense the presence of naquada from him.

"What should we do now, Ma'am?"

She checked his neck for a pulse, finding it faint and slow, but still there. She couldn't leave him there. Whoever put him there would soon be back. 

And that meant there was someone else roaming around this planet. 

Someone who was familiar with Goa'uld technology.

"We'll get him out of here."

Green quickly hoisted the limp body into a fireman lift, knowing time was of the essence. He secured his hold on the other man and adjusted his position over his shoulders to make it more comfortable for both of them.

There was no time to check the other rooms inside the Tel'tac before Reed's warning came through the radio as the two officers exited the cargo bay.

"Major, there's a group of people approaching the Tel'tac. You better hide."

"Oh shit," Sam cursed, her eyes wandering around the ship, looking for a hiding place. She found none.

But Halle was still in front of the ship's control panel.

"Halle, close the door!"

Halle fingers danced frantically, and after a few second she shook her head in defeat. "The door didn't take the command, Ma'am."

Damn. This was not good. Not at all.

Sam gestured the two officers to follow her. 

"OK, we'll retreat back to the cargo bay. Green, put him back inside the sarcophagus."

Green quickly settled the limp body back in the golden coffin and closed it as Halle sealed the door. There were some crates stacked in several places, and they moved to hide behind them.

Sam keyed her radio and hissed, "Reed, come in."

"_Reed here_."

"Listen, we're inside the cargo bay. If you don't hear from us in the next hour, go back to the gate and ask for reinforcements. Don't even think about playing hero, got it?"

She didn't know what would happen when the people arrived in the cargo bay, so she had to prepare for the worse.

"_Copy that_."

She could hear footsteps and they were getting closer.

"Good. Maintain radio silence and don't try to contact us, okay? *We'll* contact you. Carter out," she said hastily as she turned the radio off without waiting for a reply. She couldn't afford compromising their location. Glancing at her two companions, she let them know that she wanted them to do the same. They complied.

The footsteps halted for a moment to allow the cargo bay's door to part before they resumed.

She held her breath, tucking herself further back was against the crates. She closed her eyes as a familiar shiver assaulted her body. At least one of the new arrivals had a symbiote inside them. She could sense it in her blood.

Green was next to her, and Halle was right beside him.

She gave a hand-signal to inform them of the nature of the person who had just entered the room. They tensed at the revelation, but she once again communicated with her hand. It could be a Tok'ra or a rebel Jaffa. There was no reason to feel anxious yet.

They could hear the sarcophagus open.

"Welcome back," greeted a feminine voice. The tone was as soft as a silk, sultry and yet cruel. Sam resisted the urge to take a peek to see what was going on. It would do them no good if they were caught.

"Why didn't you answer me back?" the woman asked. 

It was obvious that she was talking to the man that the SG-Alpha team had seen.

Receiving no answer, she ordered coldly, "Jaffa, kree! Lock him back in the storage. Let his petty weak body recover."

The man was coughing as the Jaffa handled him. From the sound of it, he was yanked out of the sarcophagus none too gently and dragged carelessly. He obviously didn't have enough energy to stand on his own.

"Stop this meaningless stubbornness and tell me where it is," the woman icily demanded.

The Jaffa stopped in their tracks as their goddess finished her sentence.

The man laughed wryly at her, and a touch of sadness underlay in his answer that came in a hoarse whisper.

"Never."

The woman was losing her patience. Her irritation was voiced in her order.

"Get him out of my sight. NOW."

Her Jaffa complied and the man was taken forcefully outside as he screamed and taunted.

"NEVER, you hear me? I'll NEVER tell you where it is."

As the door closed, his voice subsided to complete silence.

_THUNK_.

Something metallic was thrown in the direction of the door. 

"INSOLENCE!"

The woman was furious. Her attempts had failed, and her fuming breath echoed throughout the room as her desperation escalated.

_THUNK_.

Another object was thrown in the direction of the door.

"Insolence!" she muttered more calmly than before, but the hatred was still there.

_Thunk_.

The third object was also thrown in the same direction as the last two, but with less violence.

"Insolence," she said as neutrally as possible, as if she had found her balance again.

Sam was surprised to still feel the presence of the symbiote, and judging from the way she had ordered the Jaffa, there was no question she was a Goa'uld. But she used a normal human voice instead of the distorted one, and she was a lot more emotional than any other Goa'uld she had ever met. She gripped her P-90 tightly.

She felt like she had been waiting for eternity when finally door was opened once more followed by footsteps indicating that the woman was leaving the room. She counted to ten before she peeked around the side of the crate.

The cargo bay was empty.

She let out a sigh before turning to the rest of her team.

"We'll stay here for a moment."

They nodded and began to relax, but they still hadn't moved from behind the crates. They knew that the Goa'uld and the Jaffa could come back inside at anytime. It was safer to stay hidden.

She reached for her radio. "Reed, this is Carter."

"_Major, are you alright?_" Reed's relief was hard to miss.

"Yes, we are, but we're kind of trapped here. They didn't see us. Can you tell us when the Jaffa and the Goa'uld leave the ship?"

"_Jaffa and Goa'uld?_" He was shocked by the disclosure.

"I can't go into details now, but ... yes. Jaffa and Goa'uld."

"_But they didn't wear the usual Goa'uld armory_."

She shared a look with Green and Halle. "What do you mean?"

"_They wore normal clothes, Ma'am. I couldn't see too clearly from here, but if they were Jaffa, they definitely weren't wearing the usual gear_."

The news sank in. Now that she thought of it, Sam didn't hear the usual clanking sounds of metal against metal when the Jaffa had approached.

"Copy that. Just let us know when they leave, okay? We'll maintain radio contact every half hour. If we missed it, assume the worst."

There was silence at the other end for a while before he confidently replied, "_I will. Reed out_."

She put her radio back inside her vest pocket, and then turned to face two pairs of eyes.

"Halle, do you know what this symbol means?"

She drew the mark on the man's forehead on the floor. The presence of a thin layer of dust on the gray surface helped her in visualizing the shape.

Halle raised an eyebrow. "I would've guessed that it was Sanskrit, but I don't know what it means. I'm not really familiar with the language."

"Sanskrit? What's that?" Green asked curiously.

"It's the sacred language of the Hindu religion. An ancient literary and classical language of India."

Sam nodded as Halle explained.

"Major, do you have any idea what 'it' was? The Goa'uld seemed desperate enough to have 'it'." Green looked at her in anticipation. 

She raised her hands. "I'm as clueless as you guys. For all I know, it could be as worthless as a hairpin or as dangerous as a weapon of mass destruction."

Facing Halle, she asked, "Did you manage to find anything from the ship's log?

Halle shook her head solemnly. "No, it was encrypted, and I couldn't read it."

Green grinned slightly. "Typical SG-1 luck. I should have known from the moment I signed the paper to join this team."

She couldn't help but frown as Halle joined Green in grinning. "What do you mean?"

Halle was in agreement with the Captain. "Oh, come on, Ma'am. Do your really believe that this could happen to another team?"

Keeping her blank look -- the perfect imitation of Colonel O'Neill's patent 'Huh?' look, she retorted back, "You mean it didn't?"
    
    ***

To be continue

Please let me knew how you think about it so far. Go on, click the review button, you know you want to. g

blue-topaz@lycos.com


	5. Part 2c

AN: Thanks again for everyone who had reviewed the previous chapters. And Happy Belated Birthday to Pippi g. This part is beta-read by Sandra, thanks for the suggestions girl.

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"This is interesting"

Jack lifted his head from his yo-yo and shared a look with Teal'c.

"Care to share it with the rest of the world, Daniel?" Jack asked, casually putting his yo-yo back in his pocket.

He and Teal'c had been keeping Daniel company in his office while figured out the pictures. 

He was gutted that he'd missed Carter's check-in this morning; he had been in the middle of a meeting with the team leaders of SG units 6, 7, and 9 to talk about the SG-Alpha members' performances.

Fortunately, Daniel had been there and kept him informed about what Carter had found in P89 768.

"No wonder Halle didn't understand the drawings on the wall. They weren't in the correct order."

"Should they be?"

Daniel ignored him and rearranged the photographs in front of him. He handed one to him.

"First one. Seven women descended from the sky."

Jack raised his eyebrow. The drawing showed seven female figures floating between the clouds and ground. He passed it on to Teal'c when Daniel gave him the second one.

"Second. They were bathing in a lake or a river."

True to Daniel's word, the women were in a pond or lake. Some were swimming and some were playing with each other, dipping in the shallow water. He passed it to Teal'c as Daniel handed him the next one.

"Third. Six of them flying back."

Just to be sure, he counted the figures.

"What happened to the other one?"

Daniel skipped some pictures before finally finding the one he'd been searching for. He turned it around so that both of his friends could see. Jack leaned closer to get a better look and blinked his eyes. 

"So ... what happened here?"

"She had a family. Probably married a local man and had children."

"Two children." Teal'c provided helpfully.

The picture showed the woman holding a baby and a toddler, standing in front of a small house. There was a man standing just behind her.

A perfect family's portrait.

"This reminded me a lot of a well-known folk story in East and Southeast Asia. Very similar." Daniel pushed up his glasses. 

"How so?"

"Well, the women are what they called celestial maidens. We know them as angels. They came down to earth on a regular basis, the time frames and the number of maidens varying from culture to culture. Now, in Southeast Asia, they were said to have this long piece of cloth that they tied around their waist, their wings, so to speak. They could only fly down to earth and back to nirvana if they used this. One of them," Daniel pointed at the woman with the children, "lost hers and could not fly back home. She was devastated until a mortal man took her as his wife. She overcame her grief and got on with her life."

"Mmm, you gotta love that happily ever after ending."

"Actually Jack, it didn't end there."

"It didn't?"

"No, a few years passed and one day she found out that her husband was the one who actually stole her cloth and hid it in their barn. She put it on and soared back to the sky, leaving her husband and children behind."

"It was indeed a poignant tale," Teal'c stoically agreed.

Jack randomly picked up one of the pictures on Daniel's desk. "Is that where we put 'the end'?"

"Well, as I said, there are several versions of this story. One of them actually continued the myth when the husband went to nirvana himself and convinced her to go back to Earth with him."

"I thought you said that this didn't end happily."

Daniel rolled his eyes and used that patient tone especially reserved for the man in front of him. "As I said before, Jack, there are several versions."

"Oh ... Okay. One more question."

"Yes?"

"Do these women's eyes glow?"

"Not as far as the story goes, but then again, this could be just a genuine tale."

"That traveled across the galaxy?" Jack asked skeptically. 

Daniel shrugged his shoulders. "It could be a coincidence."

Jack cocked his head in the direction of his other team member. "Teal'c? Have you heard anything about this?"

The Jaffa took his time to think. "I have not."

Jack turned his attention back to the linguist. "What about the other pictures?"

Daniel passed the rest of them to Jack. "Oh, they were just drawings of normal village life. Markets, celebrations, daily life and those sort of things."

"Why were the pictures out of order?"

Daniel lowered his head and busied himself with some other papers. "I don't know."

There was something cultural that Daniel didn't know? This was new. Jack smirked and decided to rub the salt into the wound. "You don't know?"

"Yes, I don't know." The warning in Daniel's voice was enough to discourage Jack from asking further questions. 

"Oh. Okay then."

***

Sam's head was pounding as she opened her eyes, only to be greeted by darkness. Groaning, she tried to lift her upper body, trying to get off the cold, hard floor. One hand rubbed her eyes gently, but the darkness was still there.

"Major, is that you?" 

"Green?" 

Her hand traveled to her temple and massaged it gently in an attempt to drive her headache away.

"Yes, Ma'am. It's me."

Her memory about the mission flooded through her confused mind.

"Is Halle here? What about Reed?" 

"I don't know, Ma'am. It's pitch black in here."

What had happened to them?

The last thing she remembered was being inside the cargo bay, hiding with her team behind a stack of crates and waiting for a chance to escape from the ship. 

Suddenly she heard a growl.

"That's Halle." 

She carefully crawled towards the sound, her hands patting the area in front of her since her vision was impaired. A few feet away, the palm of her hand touched something soft.

"Halle, are you okay?" she asked, trying to help her sit up.

Halle drew a sharp intake of breath. "I'm okay, I'm okay. Just a bit lightheaded, that's all." 

She nodded and let her go. "Is Reed here?"

"I'm not sure, Ma'am," answered Green.

Sam's hope soared as she considered the possibility of Reed not being here, wherever here was. She didn't know how much time had passed, but the moment Reed realized that they had lost radio contact, he would return to the SGC for reinforcements. 

She had a guess of what had happened to them, but it wasn't a pretty one.

"What's going on? Why is it so dark here?" Halle asked in her disoriented state, still groggy.

"We were captured," she grimly informed the rest of her team. She had checked her body for weapons and found none. 

"What?" exclaimed Green.

"It's dark because a Goa'uld stun grenade affected our sight temporarily. It'll pass," she assured them.

She had been on the receiving end of that particular grenade on several occasions, and there was no doubt in her mind that the aftershock sensation that ran through her body was caused by it.

"Oh great," muttered one unhappy Captain.

"Well, didn't you say something about SG-1 luck earlier, Sir? This is it." Halle sighed dramatically. 

"I just hope that luck didn't bail on us now. We could really use the 'great escape' type of luck just about now."

Sam listened to their conversation silently. Her mind was racing as she considered their capturer.

A Goa'uld on an unpopulated planet? What could she possibly want? And what about the sarcophagus? No one just left precious technology like that lying around collecting dust on a barren planet. And what about the man? Who was he? And then, there was 'it'. What was 'it'? A thousands questions ran through her mind. 

A faint light disturbed her from her train of thought. She brought her hand right in front of her face and saw a creamy form starting to take shape.

"My vision is back."

She blinked a number of times to clear her sight. 

"Mine too," added Green.

"I think I saw some light," Halle confirmed.

Once her vision was back to normal, Sam took a look around. It was a holding cell, but to her knowledge, this one looked like a one from a mothership, not a cargo ship. 

"Major." The warning in Green's voice didn't go unnoticed.

She turned around to see that there was someone else inside the cell.

The man from the sarcophagus. 

He was watching them from the corner of the room, wearing a sleeveless robe and sitting on the floor with his knees drawn to his chest. His eyes were dark brown, full of mystery and suffering.

Tentatively, she greeted their in-mate. "Hi. Do you know where we are?"

The man looked up, but didn't answer the question.

Sam tried again while still maintaining her distance. She still wasn't sure about the nature of this man. "I'm Major Carter. And this man is Captain Green, and she is Lieutenant Halle. We're from Earth. Most people call us the Tau'ri."

He titled his head to one side. "You are the Tau'ri?" His voice was deep and calm. He started to get up from the floor and stared at them for a while. "My name is Shiva."

Before they could say anything further, the door opened. Sam, Green and Halle were already standing close to each other, their instincts telling them to stay close together.

The Goa'uld walked gracefully inside the room. Her hair was silky black, long and smooth. Her skin was light brown, almost as the same color as the man, and she wore a white sari as well as a gold necklace and bracelet. There was a bindi on her forehead. 

Four Jaffa followed closely behind her, each holding a staff weapon. They were wearing the same kind of robes as the man, made of animal's skin. 

"Kneel before your goddess!" one of the Jaffa ordered.

"You are no goddess," the man said calmly. 

Sam looked at the man in surprise. He knew about the true nature of the Goa'uld.

The Goa'uld didn't seem to be offended as she ignored the man and approached her new prisoners. She approached Halle first. "You are a woman."

Before Halle could say anything, she continued her inspection to Sam. She took her time to study her before she said, "You were a host."

Sam stared back at the Goa'uld and boldly answered, "I was."

"You are their leader."

"Yes."

"Fascinating. A woman, a leader, and a warrior." 

Sam's eyes scanned the room, looking for any escape route, but she couldn't find any.

The Goa'uld then advanced toward Green and smiled seductively. "Finally. A man."

She was about to touch the Captain when Sam stepped between the two of them, pushing Green behind her slightly. "Who are you?" 

She couldn't let her get close to Green. There was something in the way that she looked at him that was familiar, like a lioness eyeing for her prey. 

The Goa'uld smirked. "I am Durga."

Halle gasped in shock. "Durga?"

"Lieutenant?" Sam turned her attention toward Halle.

"Durga is an Indian goddess ... the wife of Shiva."

"His wife?" Green pointed at the man that stood in the corner of the cell.

Durga averted her eyes from the three officers to the man as Halle continued her narrative. "Shiva was once married to Sita, Daksha's daughter. She consumed herself in a fire because she was ashamed to be born as Daksha's daughter after he insulted Shiva in front of many people. She swore that she would be reincarnated again to a father who she could respect. Then she was born again as Parvati, better known as Durga, and once again became Shiva's wife."

"He is no Shiva. The sarcophagus has finally scrambled his brain. Do you really believe that foolish tale? A story based on anything but the truth?"

Durga lifted her chin and look down at them in a degrading manner.

"You, the Tau'ri, are a puny race." She chuckled slightly. "Look at him and look at me. I think that should say it all. I am the mother of all and he was just a man under my feet. Nothing more."

"Mother of all?" Sam didn't like the way she said it. 

"She's a queen Goa'uld," Green exclaimed.

Sam bit her lower lip as Durga once again laughed. Her suspicion was confirmed.

"You are going to be an excellent addition to my Jaffa." Durga pushed Sam aside and approached Green. "It has been a while since I had a new one."

Green stepped back as she kept advancing towards him. 

"Green," Sam said. He looked passed Durga's shoulder to meet her eyes. "It's okay." 

There was confusion in his eyes before he finally nodded to acknowledge her silent message. 

Durga placed one of her hands on the back of his head and pulled him closer. "Don't be afraid, my child. I am your goddess, I will take care of you."

And then she breathed on him.

Sam watched them with clenched fists. The queen Goa'uld was using the pheromone-like substance to control him like Hathor had done when she had the men in the SGC under her power.

"Tell me, how did you arrive on this planet?" Her soft voice caressed Green.

Swallowing the lump in his throat, Green answered, "We used the Stargate."

"Stargate? Ah, you mean the Chaapa'ai?" She was intrigued.

"Yes."

She stepped back from the Captain. "Tell me how you do that. Your Chaapa'ai should not be able to make a connection with this planet."

"We by-passed some protocol to establish a wormhole here," Sam answered on behalf of Green. 

Durga turned around and faced her. "You can do that?"

"Yes."

Another Jaffa entered the room and bowed. "My Lord, we are almost ready to depart to Agni."

Durga held her gaze with Sam. "Very well. We'll have plenty of time for you later on." 

She spun around and started to walk away, taking Green's hand and tugging him to follow her. "Come with me, we will prepare you for the honor of being Durga's Jaffa."

The Goa'uld, Green and the Jaffa exited the holding cell. As soon as the door was closed, Halle asked her commanding officer, "What should we do now?"

Sam crossed her arms, thinking.

They were inside a mothership and from what she had heard, they were heading to a place named Agni. She checked her watch. It told her that they had missed their radio contact with Reed by over an hour. As soon as he contacted the SGC, they would send a search party through.

But would they be on time? They were just about to leave this planet in a moment.

"Now, we wait." She put on a brave face. She couldn't afford to display her fear now, not when her team needed her. 

Green should be all right for now. The Goa'uld needed him alive if she wanted to make him her Jaffa. She and Halle on the other hand ... It was no secret that the queen Goa'uld could not control women the way she controlled men. But if she had something worth the Goa'uld's interest, maybe she could keep all of them alive. 

So, what did Durga want the most?

'It'.

She looked at the man. "What did she want from you?"

He looked startled at her question, but replied it anyway, "Something that I will never give to her."

She narrowed her eyes. "Is your name really Shiva?"

"It is none of your concern," he spatted.

Sam realized that the man refused to talk about the matter, so she changed her tactic. 

"What do you know about Agni?"

He answered tranquilly, "It is a planet not far from Mata. It is Durga's planet, where she breeds her Jaffa."

"Mata? Is that the name of this planet?"

"Yes."

She braced herself as she asked, "Do you know what would happen to us when we arrive there?"

He looked at her. "She will probably take you as her slaves. She cannot have enough of them."

Sam thought it over. Slaves didn't sound so bad, it could have been worse. But she could not allow Durga to turn Green into a Jaffa. No way in hell.

"Why didn't she use her breath on you?" Halle asked suspiciously. 

"It would not work on me."

"Why?"

His dark eyes pierced into both women, however, he didn't answer the question. To Sam's knowledge, only a man who had previously been affected by the pheromone would develop immunity to it. 

She turned around and guided Halle to the opposite corner, leaving him alone.

"Ma'am?" Halle questioned her decision to finish their interrogation. The man was hiding something, and they needed to know what.

She shook her head, knowing that she wouldn't get anything more out from him. "Leave him be. We need to be prepared."

"Prepared for what?" Halle was puzzled.

"I'm not planning to sit down and let Durga have her way. Are you?"

The Lieutenant rested her back against the wall. "No. But what can we do?"

Sam smiled encouragingly. "We wait for an opportunity."

Halle raised her eyebrow. "You think we'll have one?"

"If not, we make one." 

Halle stared at her in amazement. "How can you be so calm about this?"

"Because I'm not ready to give up just yet."

The other woman smiled weakly at her and sat down on the floor. Sam could only hope that Halle still had her fighting spirit within her.

She turned her gaze toward the door. 

Now she knew why Colonel O'Neill always thought positively, no matter how bad their situations were. She had to keep their morals up and make sure that her team fought until the end. She was their anchor, and if she broke down now, she would drag her team down with her. Pushing aside her doubts and qualms, she gritted her teeth and waited patiently. She knew that a chance would come. She just had to make the best of it because it might be their only chance. 

Their only chance to stay alive and go back home. 

She let her mind wander to home. What was her team doing right now? It was 2024 hours on Earth. The Colonel was probably dragging Daniel out of his office to have some dinner with him, and Teal'c would be in the mess hall already, securing a table for them. 

She missed them.

She missed having them alongside her. 

She shoved her hand in her pockets. There was something inside one of them, and she took it out slowly. She didn't remember putting anything inside it. Someone must have put it there deliberately. 

It was a small keepsake bag. She could feel that there was something inside it. She untied the knot and opened the green bag, pouring the contents into her palm. There were three items in total: a piece of paper, a string and a tiny action figure. She recognised them straight away. 

The paper was Daniel's. It was torn from his journal, a rough sketch of several Stargate's chevrons.

The string was the Colonel's. It was his yoyo's string, a leather ring attached to it.

The action figure was Teal'c's. It was Master Yoda, his favourite character from Star Wars. 

The corner of her lip moved upward involuntarily. 

She stared at the items one by one, holding them close in her hand. It had to be Daniel's idea. Only he could think of something like this. She brought her hand closer to her mouth and kissed it softly. She found a new strength.

They were here with her.

***

He should have known.

Reed had just arrived half an hour ago, bringing news that he dreaded. 

"Jack." Daniel's voice broke the eerie silence inside the SG-1 gear room.

"She'll be okay, Daniel." Jack kept his voice steady. He was facing his locker, methodically putting on his BDUs. "She has to be."

Until they came after her, she had to be okay.

***

To be continue

The next part is done and is in the possession of my beta-reader, hopefully it could be up in two or three days, so please be patient g.


	6. Part 2d

This part is beta-read by Sandra. Thanks girl.

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Sam's head snapped up as the holding cell door opened. 

It was Green at the end of the parting. She awarded him with a smile, knowing that she could count on him. 

"Took you long enough." Five long strides later, she was at his side. "Halle, come on." 

Green handed her two Zats that he had hidden.

"Well, you know the Goa'uld. They have a wacky sense in fashion."

He twirled in a comical manner, showing off his new attire: a robe similar to the kind the Jaffa wore and a staff weapon.

"She took almost thirty minutes just to pick this one for me."

Sam cleared her throat, definitely amused with the way he treated the situation. "Well, if you like it so much, you can keep it."

"Um, Ma'am?" Halle approached them. "What happened?"

She turned around and handed her the other Zat. "Green was one of the men under Hathor's control when she dropped by our base a few years ago." She smirked as the Captain's face turned a shade of red. "He couldn't be controlled with the same substance anymore."

"Oh, I didn't know that."

"Well, now you do. Let's go."

She checked the corridor, finding it empty.

"Major, what about him?" Green asked, gesturing to the man.

Oh crap, she completely forgot about him. She turned around and considered her options. 

The man was meditating on the floor, his legs crossed in front of him and his hands clasped together, like he was praying. It was dangerous to include a stranger in their escape. It could backfire. She didn't trust him, but she offered anyway.

"Do you want to come with us?"

He opened his eyes slowly but did not move. "No."

That was good enough for her. 

She gestured for the other two to leave the holding cell. As soon as they were out, she used the control panel to close the door, not wanting to alarm the ship's owner of their absence.

"Green, do you know how we got inside the mothership? Do they use the ring transporters or another ship?"

"They use the rings, Ma'am. The cargo ship on the planet could not fly. Something about the control crystal. There's just a few Jaffa aboard, I don't know why."

She nodded as she familiarized herself with their position. She had studied Goa'uld mothership blueprints before and knew that there was a room containing a ring transporter on this level just around the corner.

She allowed Green to walk slightly ahead of them, so if they encountered any resistance, he could alert them. Slowly but surely, they approached the room. There was no sign of anyone. When they reached the room, she swiftly advanced towards the control column. She didn't want to waste more precious time.

"Now, you two. Get in there." She pointed to the rings, and as soon as she was certain they were inside the circle, she punched the coordinates.

"Green, give me the staff weapon." 

He dutifully obliged.

"You're not coming with us, Ma'am?" he asked warily as he realized that Sam wasn't any indication she was joining them.

"I have something to do first. If I didn't come down in ten minutes, go back to the Stargate and get home, understood?"

"Ma'am," Halle started to protest.

"That's an order."

She had no time to explain, watching as the rings engulfed them. There was nothing more than she would like to be doing than joining them, but she had a plan. 

***

SG-1, SG-3 and SG-6 had arrived on P89 768 a few hours earlier. SG-3 was guarding the gate, while the other two teams searched for the rest of SG-Alpha. Reed was with them, leading them to the cargo ship. They searched the Tel'tac straight away, but the missing team was not there. Jack was just about to extend their search outside the ship when the rings were activated.

He didn't know how to react when he saw the Captain Green dressed in robes and Lieutenant Halle right beside him. Neither were injured, but there was no sign of *his* Major.

"Where's Carter?" he asked straight to the point. 

"Major Carter said she had something to do, Sir. She sent us down here first, and said she would soon follow," Green answered nervously. He knew how protective Colonel O'Neill was towards his team.

"Did she say what it was that she wanted to do?" Jack inquired anxiously.

"No, Sir. She didn't even give us the chance to help her," Halle added.

He gritted his teeth and dismissed them with his hand. Carter could be so pig-headed sometimes. 

"It's good to see you guys again," Reed welcomed his teammates. He was relieved to find out they were all right.

Green and Halle told the search party the compact version of what had happened, including details about the man, the queen Goa'uld, and the Jaffa. They also recited how they had eluded their captor. 

Jack only listened to their story half-heartedly, still worried sick about Carter. What the hell was she thinking? He glanced towards the ring transporter as his restlessness escalated. 

"Durga ... Now, this is interesting." Daniel scratched the edge of his eyebrow.

"How so Doctor Jackson?" Halle asked. "I have some vague idea about who she is, but not much."

"Durga has several names. Parvati, Kali, and Lalitha were some of them. She was a multi-dimensional goddess. It was said that Durga was one of her fiercest and most powerful forms. She was the goddess beyond reach with eight arms and rode a lion," Daniel explained. 

"What about Shiva?" Green asked.

"Shiva was a very powerful god. In fact, the combination of Shiva, Parvati or Durga and their son Ganesha was often compared to Osiris, Isis and Horus."

"So, there was no chance that the man we encountered was Shiva?" Green questioned.

"Very unlikely."

Before anyone else could ask any more questions, the rings were activated again. Everyone inside the ship raised their weapons instinctively, breathing a sigh of relief when Carter appeared. 

"Nice reception," she exclaimed in response of the all the weapons pointed at her. 

"Nice to see you too, Carter," Jack said sarcastically. His apprehension soon turned into annoyance. Didn't she know he worried he'd been? And what about her little 'I have something to do' stunt? He could have sworn his life span had been reduced by at least ten years.

Daniel exclaimed, "Sam, I'm glad that you okay!"

"Indeed." Teal'c expressed his agreement with the archaeologist. 

And then she grinned. "Sorry, Sir. Just a little bit cranky. I *was* locked up by a Goa'uld just a little while ago."

Damn that smile. It almost made him forget about the last few hours. 

Almost.

"Okay people, now that everyone is back, let's head back to the gate," he ordered.

Carter was here, and they could go home. That was all that mattered now.

"We can't leave, Sir." She stood still. "At least not yet."

He couldn't believe what he was hearing. Glaring, he asked, "Care to explain why?"

She smiled dubiously, frightening him. She was planning something, something big. Something that he wouldn't normally agree to, but she would make him do it anyway. He knew that dangerous and sneaky smile.

"We have a mothership to raid."

He really hated it when his suspicions turned out to be right. But he always double-checked everything, so -- "Huh?" 

"I've cut their power and sabotaged their weaponry. It should take them at least forty-eight hours to fix it. Durga doesn't have a great number of Jaffa with her, and she's vulnerable. If we attack now, I'm sure we would succeed. Besides, her Jaffa don't have the..." 

He lifted his hand to stop her from talking. She had almost convinced him. 

Almost. 

"What makes you think that I'll say 'yes' to this crazy little plan of yours?"

She raised her eyebrows and smirked. "Apart from the fact we'd have a brand new mothership, Sir? I must admit, it's a bit old, but I'm sure it has some big honking space guns attached to it. And don't forget about the sarcophagus. Janet will be thrilled. No more big needles for your examinations and..."

She had him from the moment she said 'having a brand new mothership'. That and no more needles from the Doc. She knew which buttons to push and wasn't afraid to push them hard.

"Okay, okay, I get your point, but we still need to ask the General first." It was the only way to dampen her enthusiasm. 

"Now, let's get out from this ship. I really don't want to have any more visitors through that ring."

This time, he received no objection and they left the vessel, heading towards the forest near the lake. He contacted SG-3 and asked them to relay the message to General Hammond. The General said he would let them know his decision in three hours. They found a cave to camp in for the night, not far from the cargo ship's location. 

Daniel informed the SG-Alpha team about the drawings on the temple and they quickly put two and two together.

"So, let's say that the celestial maiden is Durga and villager who stole her cloth is the man you found inside the sarcophagus. Then, whatever the stolen good represents, it must be really important. Or else, why would a queen Goa'uld like Durga pursue it?" Daniel theorized. "Teal'c, is Durga a well-known Goa'uld?"

"There were only rumors of her among the Jaffa. She was said to be the perfect Queen, who could produce extraordinary offspring. Many Goa'uld desired the queen as a companion, including Ra and Apophis. There is a System Lord named Kali, one of the names that Daniel Jackson mentioned earlier. She was said to be one of Durga's young," answered the Jaffa. 

"What a woman." Jack couldn't resist commenting on that.

Daniel nodded. "No wonder. Even in Indian mythology, she was said to be the picture of a perfect wife."

"Well, she's not a rumor now," Reed muttered.

Teal'c cocked his head to one side. "It was said that Durga suddenly disappeared. No one knew whether she lived or perished."

"Well, Teal'c, my man, now we know," Jack said dryly.

"What about Shiva?" Green asked.

"No one has ever seen him. He was a phantom," Teal'c provided the answer.

"Could a man stop aging for thousands of years without becoming a host?" Halle was intrigued by the physical appearance of the mysterious man.

"He had the sarcophagus, so it is possible," Carter speculated. "There is no telling how old he is, depending on how many times he's been inside."

"I wonder how he did it," the young Lieutenant mused.

"Did what?" Major Madden, the leader of SG-6 asked.

"Not breaking down after all the Goa'uld did to him. She tortured him, right? Over and over again. I mean, didn't he just wish she would kill him for good?"

Jack calmly stated, "He must've had a good reason."

He knew that there were a few things in life that were more important than life itself. 

"But why would he refuse to come with us?" Halle was not satisfied with the answer she was given.

"Don't ask me. Only he knows why." Jack shrugged his shoulders.

"I don't trust him." Carter wrapped her arms around herself as if she felt a shiver coming. "There was something in his eyes that was ... wrong."

Jack noted her admission. He knew if Carter said there was something wrong with the man, there was something wrong with him. He had learned to trust her judgment a long time ago and would take extra caution when dealing with the man in the future.

"Daniel, do you know what this symbol means?" Carter drew something on the ground with a piece of stick. "It's the mark on the man's forehead. Halle said that it was written in Sanskrit."

Daniel leaned down to take a better look and frowned. "Ravi." He took of his glasses and rubbed them against his T-shirt. "Meaning the Sun."

"Why would he have Sun written on his forehead?" Madden asked somewhat incredulously. 

One more puzzled was added to the already complex situation. They talked about it, but some questions were still left unanswered. 

General Hammond contacted them again at the pre-appointed time, pleased to inform them their plan had been approved. Jack was given full command and any support he would need. Immediately, he requested every available SG team who's male members were immune to the queen Goa'uld pheromone-like substance and any female members, as well as any experienced airmen. The General promised him he would have them in twenty-four hours, equipped with heavy armory and a large amount of ammunition. He also arranged for the return of the SG-3 and SG-6 officers who were vulnerable to the substance. 

Jack gathered all of his team members and plotted the attack. By dinner, the plan was completed. They just had to wait for the cavalry to arrive. The tension and exhilaration was thick in the air, the importance of the mission enormous. They were preparing for one hell of a ride. 

Jack was sitting on a big rock while conducting his watch at the mouth of the cave when he heard someone approach from behind. He turned around to see that it was Carter.

"Hi." She seated herself next to him.

The twin full moons provided the light they needed. The campfire had been put out earlier so that it would not give their position away to the Goa'uld. The temperature was cold, but it was still bearable. 

"Having trouble sleeping?" He scooted a little to give her more space on the rock. He had spared her and her team from the night-watch duty. They had a rough day and deserved the rest. A big job was waiting for them tomorrow. 

"I'm just too exited, I guess." She pulled her jacket closer as a mild wind blew. 

"You? Too exited?" he teased. 

She drew her knees closer to her chest and rested her chin on them. "Well, yeah. It's not everyday I give my CO a mothership as his retirement present."

His heart skipped a beat. He turned around to watch her. Her short blond hair was sticking out everywhere, her soft skin smeared with dirt and sweat. But all he saw was her. No matter how dirty she was or how pretty the dress she wore. It was always her that he saw. 

Always her.

"Are you sure?"

She had always been the unsure about his retirement. He knew that she was more than ready to receive the responsibility as SG-1's leader, but she had not shown any indication that she acknowledged her potential. And he couldn't just slap it to her face. It was something she had to realize by herself.

She turned her head slightly and replaced her chin position with her cheek, locking her eyes with. "I'm sure."

His chest tightened with a blend of joy and pride. He had waited for this moment for a long time. "What made you so sure about this?"

"I don't know. I guess... I guess it just came to me during these two days with the Alpha team. I never thought about what you would have done when I was faced with a decision. I made my own choice... My own. Back in the ship, Halle and Green always had their eyes on me, asking me what to do, taking comfort in my presence..."

Her voice trailed off for a moment. "It's part of the job, isn't it? To be the strong one?" Her blue eyes searched for reassurance.

His hand was reached for her head and ruffled her hair gently. "It is."

She closed her eyes and sighed. "I'm sorry."

He withdrew his hand and scanned their surroundings, just in case Durga had decided to retrieve her captives. "What for?"

"For taking so long to realize that I could do this."

He sighed. Why couldn't she see it was not an easy thing to do? No matter how many PhDs she had or how many times she worked a miracle, she was still a human being with flaws. But he knew that was just the way she was. And he had no intention to change her.

"It's easier said than done. Don't apologize for this."

She opened her eyes and was just about to argue when he placed a finger to her lips. It was his way of saying 'this discussion is over'. She gazed at him openly, silently expressing her gratitude for everything he had done for her. Her lips quirked, the moonlight softly illuminating her. 

God, how he adored her.

"You had me worried back there," he started another topic of conversation.

She arched her eyebrow. "Worried?"

Looking back, he felt stupid for his overreaction. She was big girl who knew how to blow up a sun and perform many other impossible things.

"Yes. But then I realized my worry was wasted. Sometimes I forget you're not made of the damsel-in-distress material."

She snorted. "It's wasn't wasted. There were times when I was scared."

Carter? Scared? 

"Really?"

She ran her fingers through her hair. "Yes. In our line of work, I realize that death is always hot on our tails. I never fear it. But..." There was a flicker of uncertainty on her face.

"But?"

She tore her eyes away from him, looking at the forest instead. "I don't know. Being with SG-1 somehow made it easier. Made it less...daunting."

He knew the feeling. Everything was less lonely and terrifying when he had his friends with him when death called upon him. It took the fear away.

"You're never alone."

She chuckled and fished something out from her pocket. "I know that now. Thanks to this." She dangled the keepsake bag in front of him.

He could hardly suppress a smile. "Ah... That." However, he had a reputation to take care of. "It was all Daniel's idea." 

She held it in her hand and brought it closer to her face. "Thought so."

"But I volunteered to do my share willingly and didn't make any comment about the suggestion."

She put the small bag back inside her pocket. "Oh yeah. That was a really, *really* hard thing to do."

He nudged her shoulder slightly. "Are you making fun of me?"

She gave him a mock-glare. "Oh, very mature, Sir."

"Look who's talking."

She pursed her lips, biting back a laugh while refusing to continue their banter at the same time. She moved closer toward him, and leaned heavily against him. Her head soon rested on his shoulder. 

It took him by surprise. They were off-world with at least half of dozen other people sleeping behind them. But he didn't want to push her away. A few minutes of silence passed, but she still hadn't made the move to end their close proximity.

"Um, Carter?" 

Her response was to snuggle closer to him, trying to find more comfortable position. 

"Teal'c will let us know if someone's coming out."

He looked at her and smiled fondly. Always the scientist, her attention to detail was remarkable. Teal'c was Kel'no'reem-ing just a few feet behind them, the rest of the group slept further inside the cave.

"Well, if you insist."

He knew that she was smiling even though he couldn't see it. 

"I do."

Who was he to deny her wish?

He angled his head so that his cheek was touching the soft blond hair while maintaining his awareness towards their surrounding. It was nice having her close like this, a physical contact that acknowledged this was not an illusion. 

This was real.

The way her head fit perfectly in the crook of his neck. The way her body radiated warmth and comfort. The way she had her way with him. The way she accepted him just as he was.

They were all real. And so was his feeling for her.

She made him feel excited about tomorrow. 

It had been so long since anyone could do that to him.

He had been so lost when Charlie was gone, a big part of him snatched away so cruelly. The Stargate program and his newly found friendship with Daniel had shown him the way home, letting him know that his life still had meaning.

And then she came along and gave him a new direction in life, showing him that there was more than just living each day as it came and went.

She made him dare to dream about the future again. 

"Sir?" 

"Yeah?"

"Who volunteered to invade *my* privacy, broke into *my* locker and snuck the keepsake bag into *my* pocket?"

*To be Continue*

AN: I'm having my exam in two weeks time, therefore I could not write anymore chapter until at least the 4th of June. Hopefully I didn't leave you all in too much suspense with this chapter. :) 


	7. Part 3a

AN: Sorry it took me long to update the story, but real life (such as exam) get in my way. This is the next part, enjoy ... Thanks to JayBee-Bug who beta-read the story and also for the folks in samandjack list who help me with my questions (esp. Rosemary, Ryven and Jo Rauma).

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**Part 3: Tut Wuri Handayani. **

_"From behind, a teacher should be a guide for the students' learning activity."_

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Reed and several members of the original rescue team that were susceptible to Durga's pheromone mind-control had been sent back to Earth early that morning. But it didn't matter, as the new arrivals had made a total number of 67 personnel, and almost half of them were women. 

The soldiers were divided into six teams. The first one was a five-man team to guard the gate. They would act as a mediator between the assaulting forces and the SGC as well as providing cover fire if necessary. The second one was another five-man team that waited inside the cargo ship, guarding the Rings.

The third one was a twelve-man team, plus Jack and Daniel. Jack was in charge of the whole operation, so his team would head to the Peltac (bridge), to take control of the mothership. His team went up through the transportation rings first to their designated level, and to avoid any nasty surprises, they sent some C4 first. The explosive knocked out any Jaffa waiting for their arrival.

The fourth one was another twelve-man team, plus Sam. She was their team-leader, and her team was responsible for taking control of the main generator. She had sabotaged it earlier and it was her job to make sure that she could fix it when they had everything done. Her team was the second to go up, imitating the same tactic as the first team to clear the ring room of any Jaffa. 

The fifth team was led by Teal'c, and it consisted of Halle and ten other soldiers. Green and the rest of them made up the last team. Both teams would sweep the rest of the mothership. They went up in a similar manner as the first two teams.

Each soldier was armed heavily, they were ready and prepared for a big battle. And what a battle it was. Bullet after bullet spat angrily from P-90's from one side while beam after beam from staff weapons were flashing from the other side. Chaos was inevitable as orders and screams of agony mixed everywhere the humans made contact with the Jaffa. 

Fortunately, the battle didn't last long. Durga's army was outnumbered and outgunned, and soon, all of the Jaffa were killed or captured. Durga herself surrendered once she realised her hopeless situation. She was in one of the holding cells now. However, the victory was not without casualties from the human's side. Jack counted at least four of his men down, eight of them severely injured, and almost all of them had some kind of cut or bruise. Sadly for them, the sarcophagus was damaged during the cross-fire. Thus it could not be used to resurrect the death or heal the wounded. 

He stared blankly at the limp bodies as he sent them down to the cargo ship, ordering them to be taken straight to Earth to receive proper burial and treatment. The rest would stay on the ship and secure it, making sure that there were no nasty surprises waiting behind the doors. 

"Colonel, we're ready to go now." Major Grant informed him. He would go together with the wounded and report back to the SGC and debrief General Hammond about the success of their mission so far. "Anything else that you want me to relay to the General, Sir?" 

Jack thought about it for a moment. "Nah. Just make sure you get them home and safe, OK." 

Grant nodded curtly. Jack's overprotection towards his team was well-known and earned him respect from his junior officers. "I will."

"Good."

Jack watched the rings engulf the Major and leave him alone inside the room. He always hated this part of the job, when he couldn't show any emotion and had to hold back the inevitable tears. He knew most of the victims, he even knew their families. Their deaths were not in vain, far from it; they died for a good cause. But he still couldn't stop the regret he felt for their part. 

As the minute passed, he clenched his jaw as he set his emotions like he had done so many times. He still had a job to finish. He turned around and listened to his footsteps echo in the empty corridor. He could only be glad that his retirement would come soon, he didn't think he could keep this up. He was not as young as he used to be and he was so tired of being someone that he was not. 

He headed towards Carter's position, she was trying to get the generator back on-line. He needed to see her, just to make sure that she was alright and to check on her progress. Two Lieutenants guarding the generator room straightened their postures when they saw him approaching. 

"As you were." 

He walked past them and was greeted by the sight of his Major and her temporary minions, (Lieutenant Hailey - her prodigy, Captain Tuppance - SG-4 mechanics and Sergeant Morse - one of Siler's men) who were hovering around the generator, holding a heated discussion about something that went straight over his head. 

"Ehem," he cleared his throat to let them know that he was there. 

She turned around and smiled at him. "Sir, is everything alright on the bridge?"

"Yes, Daniel is trying to read the ship's logs. As you are well aware, I don't read Goa'uld, so I let him have all the fun."

She rubbed her oily hands on her camouflage pants, attempting to clean them slightly. Then she gave a few instructions to her three sidekicks before she approached him. "Any chance that since I'm also aware you're not a mechanic, you'll let me have my fun too?" She whispered to him so that only he could hear what she was saying. 

He glanced at her speculatively as he recognised the invitation for a smart-ass reply. But he didn't feel like it now. "I just need to check on your progress, any news?"

There was something alarming that flickered in her eyes. He rarely turned down her bantering offer. "I think we can have the generator running in around four or five days tops," she answered matter-of-factly, but it didn't completely hide the disappointment in her voice. "I had to make sure to make enough damage in the first place when I sabotaged the generator."

"I see. Keep me informed. I need to check on Teal'c now, I'll see you later." He patted her gently on the shoulder and tuned around. 

"Sir." Her voice was laced with worry. 

He looked back at her. "Yeah?"

"Are you alright?" 

"I'm alright, just tired. It's been a long day." He presented her with a tight smile, acknowledging that his answer was only holding half the truth in it. She looked so dejected from his refusal to open up to her that he was tempted to pull her into a crushing hug, losing himself in her, but he knew better. 

"I'll talk to you later, OK?" He tried to assure her. He needed time to think this over and this wasn't the time nor the place to discuss it. 

"Okay." The reply came out weakly. 

"Go and have fun with your generator," he managed to say before he disappeared from her sight. Even with his back to her, he could see her smile. And it lightened up his mood a bit. 

He wandered towards his new destination, Teal'c, in the holding cells' area. Jack had personally asked the Jaffa to guard the Goa'uld -- it's not that he didn't trust the other soldiers, but Teal'c was the only one who could handle the Goa'uld if she tried something funny. 

"Teal'c," he called out as soon as he arrived.

"O'Neill. Do you wish to interrogate the prisoner now?" Teal'c was eager, he had expressed his interest over this mysterious queen Goa'uld. 

Jack sighed. "Well, we have to do it sooner or later." He smiled tiredly. "Might as well do it now."

Teal'c nodded. "Very well."

Jack turned towards the two Airmen that were guarding the door alongside Teal'c. "You two wait here and be alert. I don't have to tell you what kind of prisoner we have here."

"Yes, Sir," they chorused as they tightened their grip on their weapons.

And then he gave Teal'c the signal to open the holding cell's door. His P-90 was pointed forward, ready to use if necessary. Teal'c was holding a Zat, also preparing himself. They couldn't afford to look down at their prisoner. 

As Teal'c punched the control panel, the door started to open. The Goa'uld was standing near the back wall, staring straight into their eyes. She held her head high as she watched Jack and Teal'c enter the room. 

This was the first time that Jack saw her. It was Teal'c's team who found and detained her. And his first impression of her was as high as he could give any Goa'uld. She was beautiful, that was undisputable, those snakes did have a high standard when choosing their hosts. Her eyes were as dark as her hair, shiny and smooth at the same time. Her skin was honey-brown, in contrast to the white sari that she wore. But like any other snake-head, Jack could feel her arrogance radiate from where she was standing. 

"So ..." he exchanged a look with Teal'c. "This is the Ragu girl."

Durga's eyes were flashing with indignity, but she held her tongue. 

"Durga," the Jaffa corrected him. Jack gave him a 'do I look like I really care what her real name is?' look. To which Teal'c replied with his famous lifted eyebrow. 

"Are you the leader?" She demanded. 

"Yep, that would be me," he answered neutrally, but heightened his awareness. He was well aware that the Goa'uld in front of him was capable of a lot of things. As Carter had mentioned before, she used her human's voice and it was kind of disturbing, but he didn't let it show. 

She regarded him for a while, trying to make an assessment of her capturer. "What do you want from me?"

Jack and Teal'c were taken aback. They were unaccustomed to her straight-to-the-point attitude, most snake-heads usually spent their first few minutes gloating about their nature. 

"Well, we have several options available to you. None of them will be pleasant, but then again, we don't do pleasant," Jack replied coldly. 

She tilted her head to one side. "I would not expect less from you. However," her eyes pierced like a sharp knife. "If I were you, I'd leave Mata while I still can."

Jack raised both his eyebrows. "Oh don't you worry, I don't intend to stay here."

She let out a small chuckle, her voice was surprisingly pleasing. "The foolishness of the human." She shook her head slowly. "I shall enjoy watching the day when you beg on your knees for the mercy of your god."

"Yeah well, just to be clear, which god are we talking about? We've met a lot of gods these past few years." He was irritated by her words.

Her smile was getting wider in spite of the insulting tone that he used. "You will soon learn how to respect your elders, young one," she chastised him like he was a small boy.  

Jack shuddered at the use of the phrase that the Nox used to describe the humans in general; it was odd to hear it from the mouth of a Goa'uld. But he was not going to be outwitted. "I'll show you respect when you deserve it."

He jerked his head backward to motion Teal'c to step backward and close the door. This conversation was going nowhere and he was not in the mood to ride the endless merry-go-round of words with the Goa'uld. He waited patiently for the door to close down before turning around to face his team-mates. "What do you think of her?"

"She is ... different," answered the big man. 

Jack muttered, "Tell me something I don't know."

"She is very much in control. As if she is waiting for something to happen," Teal'c added.

"Yeah," Jack had to agree with his friend's assessment. She was too calm, and he was pretty sure that it was not how a captive should react, Goa'uld or not. He had a really bad feeling about this. Jack could think of several fates for her as soon as they managed to ship her back to Earth, dead or alive. But they couldn't do it now, because she could take control over the base like Hathor did. "Any suggestions?"

Teal'c took a moment to think. "Perhaps we could interrogate the man."

"Her hostage? The Sappy guy?"

"Shiva," Teal'c once again corrected his friend's misspelling. 

"Where's his cell?" Jack ignored the rectification, he didn't really give a damn about his name. 

"Just over there, Sir." One of the Airmen who were guarding the holding cells pointed to the door several feet away.

"Teal'c." He headed towards the door with Teal'c following closely behind him. "Ready?" He asked when they had reached the door.

"I am." 

Jack opened the door with caution, Carter had already warned him about the man. As he stepped inside, he took his first look at the man. He was sitting on the floor, legs crossed and eyes closed. His hands were rested on his knees, and judging from his position, he was meditating. 

"Hello," Jack tried to make him aware of their presence.

The man opened his eyes, showing the deep brown eyes hidden beneath. "Who are you?" He asked.

Jack shrugged his shoulders slightly. "We're the new owners of this ship."

The man regarded him for a moment. "You must be related to the group that was held here yesterday."

"We are."

"What do you want?"

Jack could get used to these direct approaches, it was a nice change as well as saving him precious time and energy. "Who are you?"

The man answered straight away, "I am Shiva."

"Shiva is a god. You are not a god," Teal'c spoke for the first time since he entered the room. 

"What does a Jaffa know about god and God," he said acidly. 

"What do you know?" Jack turned the tables.

He snorted. "I know enough."

"Why are you here?" Jack asked again.

"It's not your concern."

"Well, this is my ship now and you're in it. It makes it my concern." Jack refused to back down. "The Goa'uld wanted something from you, didn't she? What was it?" He pressed. 

"What will you give to me if I tell you?" the man bargained. 

"What do you want?" Teal'c asked, more intrigued than he was before. 

The man contemplated for a while. "I want Durga."

Jack narrowed his eyes, his demand seemed reasonable, she *did* made him suffer for God knows how long. "What makes you think that we will give her to you?"

"Because you will want what I'm about to give to you more than you want her."

Jack and Teal'c exchanged glances. "And what is it that you're about to give to us?"

He raised his head high. "The Eye of Ra." 

---

"Are you sure?" Daniel asked enthusiastically. "He really said the Eye of Ra?"

"I am certain," Teal'c confirmed. 

Jack held an emergency meeting in the bridge right after Teal'c informed him about the power that the Eye held. He had recalled all high ranking officers to discuss the man's offer. 

"Daniel, what do you know about this Eye, exactly?" Carter leaned forwards towards him. The generator was still off-line, but she was confident that she could let her two assistants handle it for the moment. 

Daniel pushed up his glasses. "Well, according to the legend, there are six Eyes, some of them are in the possession of Aphopis, Osiris, Tiamat, and Ra. They are powerful and very dangerous, and when they are combined their power can increase ten-fold." He then frowned. "But I was so certain that Ra kept his Eye at Abydos."

"Daniel?" Jack asked for affirmation. If this Eye was so powerful, he had a difficult call to make. He wasn't sure that handing the Goa'uld to the man was a wise decision, but if they could get something out of it, then he had to have the complete information before he made that choice. 

"The writings on the wall in one of the Abydos pyramids indicates that the Eye was there," the archaeologist insisted. "I was looking for it when I still lived there." Pain flickered in his eyes as he remembered his home. Jack's heart went out for him, he knew how much Abydos meant to his friend. Daniel continued, "I believe that Ra hid it in a secret chamber there."

"Well, if you couldn't find it there, maybe it isn't there. Or maybe it was there but then Ra moved it out from Abydos," Major Neill, SG-10 leader speculated. 

"It could be," Daniel relented at the theory. 

"Do you know what the Eye looked like, Daniel?" Jack asked.

"Yes." He fished out his necklace and showed it to them. "This is the necklace that Catherine gave me when I first joined the program. The Eye of Ra is some kind of jewel like it was shown here, I think I can recognise it when I see it."

Jack nodded. "What can we do with it once we have it?" He asked again. There was no point in having the technology if they couldn't use it. 

"I don't know," Daniel admitted. "But I'm sure Sam could figure it out." He smiled in her direction. "Or we could always ask the Tok'ra or the Asgard. I'm sure they'd be willing to help us."

"What's on your mind, Sir?" Carter asked as she detected his hesitance. 

"He wanted the Goa'uld in exchange for this Eye," he stalled. "The Eye or the Goa'uld. Something just doesn't sit right with me about that."

"What is it, Jack?" Daniel watched him with interest, and so were the others. 

"The Goa'uld had tortured him for a long *long* time," he started. "But he didn't give it to her. Why would he hand over the Eye to us just a few days after we met? The Eye must have meant a lot to him. Why would he give it to us just like that? Just for revenge? I don't think so." He thought outloud as his brain cells tried to make sense of it.

"Why not, Sir?" Captain Richardson shrugged. "Hate can do funny things to people."

"Yes, but not to the one who goes through a sarcophagus countless time. He should have turned into a soulless zombie by now, but he's not. He seems to be collected and ... normal," he reasoned. 

"Something in his physiology?" Neill offered a weak excuse.

"Could be. But I agree with the Colonel. We can't trust him," said Carter. 

He stared at her, amazed at how she read his mind. He never said that, but she could see right through him. 

"So, what do you suggest we should do, Sir?" Richardson asked. 

He sighed in resignation. He was still uncertain, but he needed to make the decision soon. "I need to talk about this to Hammond first. But I won't recommend taking up his offer. We got the mothership, we don't need the Eye. Not now. Not when we don't know exactly how powerful it is and how to use it." 

"What are you planning to do with the man, O'Neill?" Teal'c asked. 

He put on his hat and pulled it down his head. "We hold him in his cell for now." 

Teal'c nodded. "Very well."

He turned his attention to Daniel. "How's the log going Daniel? Did you manage to get something out of it?"

The linguist replied, "Nothing important for now. I'll let you know as soon as I find anything."

"Carter, what about the generator? Any chance that you could work on it faster?" He didn't like having a ship that could not fly. If there was a hostile situation, it could put them in a dangerous situation. The weapons and shields were also off-line. They were defenceless against any assault, or as Jacob often said, they were 'sitting ducks' right now. He really didn't want to lose the mothership just quite yet. 

"Sorry, Sir. I can get some of the systems online tomorrow, but to make it fully operational, we need at least four days."

"Can you work on the shields first?"

"Sir?" She was confused.

"Just humour me, OK. It makes me feel safer."

She gave him a questioning glance but obeyed his request. "I'll do my best."

"How's the patrol going?" He asked the others. Although they had control of the ship, they were still sending patrol throughout it to make sure that there was no loose Jaffa around. 

"We found no one so far, Sir," Richardson answered. "But we still haven't covered the whole ship."

"Keep it up." He started to get up. "I'm going down to report to Hammond about this development. Dissmissed."

The small party broke up, and everyone went to resume their jobs as Jack walked towards the transportation rings room. He needed to get down from the ship and radio the SGC from the surface. He didn't have to go back to the Gate, he could ask the men guarding the Gate to open the portal for him and he could communicate from the outside of the cargo ship. 

"Sir, wait up."

He turned around to see Cater jogging slightly to catch up with him. He waited until she reached him. "Something wrong, Carter?"

"I need to send a message to SGC as well, Sir. We need extra equipment for the repairs."

"OK."

They walked side by side, their shoulders occasionally brushing against each other. He tried to concentrate on the sound of their footsteps when suddenly he heard a soft chuckle originating from the person beside him.

"What's so funny?" His curiosity got the better of him. 

She crooked her head slightly so that their eyes met. "You."

"Me?" He smiled instinctively.

She turned her head back so that she was facing straight ahead. "Yes, you always accuse me of thinking too much. What you were saying about the man proved that you are also doing the same thing."

"That's not thinking too much, that's common sense," he denied her accusation. 

"Whatever floats your boat, Sir."

"Watch the tone, Major." He knew that the warning never had an effect on her, but he had to issue one just for the sake of it.

"Me, Sir?" Her face was a picture of innocence that he could never get tired of. He couldn't help but smile at her. 

He knew what she was trying to do. He hadn't been himself after the attack, and he knew why. This could be his last mission, *their* last mission. In some ways he dreaded it because he couldn't be by her side during the battles anymore. But on the other hand, he was glad because soon enough he could be with her. He could say and do things that he wasn't allowed to do. And the two opposite feelings had pulled him in different directions. He was aware of this and made up his mind on the matter long ago, but as time was growing near, his resolution seemed to fade away. She was trying to cheer him up, to keep him distracted so that he could overlook his dilemma. She could have written up a list of the things that she needed, but she chose to accompany him instead. 

"Thanks, Carter."

She didn't even look up as he said that, didn't say 'What for?' or 'You're welcome'. Instead, she reached for his hand and squeezed it gently. Sometimes she scared him a lot. The way she could easily turn his world upside down just with insignificant gestures. But he would be damned if he let his fear control his actions. He wouldn't and couldn't let her slip away. 

Looking at their entwined fingers, he smiled. This reminded him of what he was fighting for, what *they* were fighting for. He couldn't wait until this mission was over. 

***

to be continue 

Things are getting interesting boys and girls, so please do review as always. J


	8. Part 3b

Thank you for JayBee-Bug who beta-read this story, and also for all of you who read and review this story. 

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Sam wiped her sweaty forehead with the sleeve of her T-Shirt. She and her team had been working on the generator for almost 24 hours now. They managed to get the shields to work properly, and the weapons should follow in a couple of hours or so. All she had to do next was concentrate on the hyperspace engine, it was the one which took the most damage. Looking back, she grimaced at her own sabotaging technique, she was pretty sure that her temporary assistants gave her a funny look after they had their first look at the generator. But at that time, she didn't want to take any chances, so she inflicted as many dents as she could. 

Another lesson learned from a certain Colonel. And she had proven herself once again to be a diligent student. 

"Carter."

She looked around to see the Colonel in question was standing near the entrance. 

"Sir. Something wrong?" She could see his annoyance radiating off of him as she approached him.

"We'll trade the Goa'uld for the Eye." The hidden anger was evident in his voice, but he had his order.

"Did they say why, Sir?"

"Apparently the Eye could defend us from Goa'uld attack. Or so they said. Hammond also had the orders from someone up there." He didn't make any effort to conceal the disgust in his eyes. "I'd like to take Teal'c, but I need him to guard the Goa'uld. So I'll take Richardson and maybe Green to accompany this Super guy to the surface." 

"Shiva," she corrected him, a smile playing upon her lips.

He grunted but smiled nevertheless. "Not you too. I had enough from Teal'c. I don't know how long it will take. You have the command up here, Major."

"You're not taking Daniel with you, Sir?" Daniel had expressed his desire to look for this Eye and his eagerness to know Shiva better. He said that Shiva could be one of Ra's priests, thus explaining the symbol on his forehead, but not why it was written in Sanskrit. 

"No. We need him up here to read the ship's logs. No one can do a better job on that than him."

Understanding his reason, she nodded. "When will you depart?"

He closed his eyes and sighed. "As soon as possible, I suppose. I want to get this done and over with." And then he opened his eyes, smiling sardonically. "I'm far too old for these things."

She couldn't help but gave him a pointed look. "You're not that old, Sir."

"So, any progress on the repairs?" He smoothly changed the subject. 

"Shield is online, as you requested. Weapons will soon be in a few moments, we still have a problem with one of the power relays. And it'll take us maybe another forty-eight hours to fix the hyperdrive engine and by then I think we should have all the systems fully operational," she reported.

"Good job, Carter. I'll leave you to it then."

She watched his back as he started to leave. 

"Sir." 

He turned around to face her.

"Good luck."

"Thanks," he replied with the smile of his own. 

As she watched him leave, she sighed deeply. She really wanted to walk beside him until he was out of the mothership, prolonging their contact. Sometimes it sucked being the resident genius. She shook her head to clear her thoughts, she needed to concentrate, she had a generator to fix. No time for playing the victim. 

"Tuppance, how's the calibration going?" She asked the SG-4 Captain. 

"I need a few more minutes to complete the readings," she replied behind one of the conduits. 

Sam acknowledged her. After it was completed, she could start working on the hyperspace engine. Morse and Hailey could handle the weapons system, it was almost ready. She shared the same uneasy feeling with the Colonel, she didn't want to stay at this planet any longer than necessary. 

---

She was worried. The Colonel had been gone for more than a day, and they were out of radio range by now. She knew that the Colonel was more than capable of taking care of himself, but she couldn't help it. The repairs had gone according to plan and Daniel had made real progress on the translations. 

He found out why and how Mata's citizens disappeared from their planet. They were relocated by Durga to her planet, Agni, as her slaves a long time ago. He also found a record saying that Mata used to be Ra's planet, conforming his suspicion as well as explaining the claim of the existence of the Eye of Ra here. The record also said that there was a priest responsible for Ra's temple here, but there was no mention of his name or the location of the temple. Daniel had difficulty accessing all the logs because most of them were encrypted. 

"Sam, you better get here. Fast." Her radio burst into life. The caution in Daniel's voice didn't go amiss. 

"I'm on my way." She quickly left the generator room where she had spent most of her time and headed straight towards the bridge. Her three assistants were more than capable of handling the repair work for a while. 

"Daniel, what's wrong?" She asked as soon as she arrived. 

"You might want to take a look at this." He gestured at the transparent screen in front of him. 

She glanced at the image in front of her. "Daniel, tell me it's not what I think it is." She really hated it when this happened.

"Sorry, Sam. I think this is what you think it is." He looked at her apologetically. 

She shook her head in defeat. It was no one's fault. "Is it headed towards our direction?"

"Yes," Daniel verified her fears. 

"Great. Just great." She just knew that their luck could not be this good. "Do you know whose ship that is?" She asked him again. 

"Kali's," he answered somewhat carefully.

"One of Durga's children?"

Daniel nodded.

"How long before the ship arrives here?"

He typed something down on the Goa'uld's computer. "If they keep their speed, I'd say around three hours."

Sam closed her eyes as her headache approached. "We got the shields and the weapons online, can we defend ourselves?"

"Her ship is much more advanced than this one. We could hang on for a while, a *little* while."

Now she knew why Durga was so calm. She knew that her backup would come before the ship could be fixed. But even though the repairs were done, Sam could not leave Mata's orbit. The Colonel was still down there, somewhere. 

"What are we going to do now, Ma'am?" Halle asked. She was helping Daniel with the translation with several other linguists. 

She looked at the younger woman's trusting eyes and weighed her options. She could abandon the ship and head back towards the Gate on foot, but she knew that they wouldn't have enough time. And she really didn't want to let this ship go. Besides, the Colonel had to be informed about it and she didn't have a way to do that. Or she could try her luck and fight back, but with what cost? She couldn't risk their lives more than she already had. They might still have Durga in their custody, but there was no telling whether Kali wanted her dead or alive. Goa'uld had a very dubious morality, and she just couldn't take the chance. 

"Daniel, how far is the sun from here and how long would it take us to go there with thrusters only?" She started to plan her way out of this predicament. 

Daniel raised his eyebrows. "What are you planning to do?"

"I haven't planned anything yet. I just wanted to keep all of my options open," she told him. 

He turned around and started to calculate the information that she needed. The display in front of him showed the result. "It'll take us around an hour to reach the closest sun."

"Good, contact the engine room and let them know that I want them to concentrate on bringing the thrusters online. Forget about the hyperdrive for now. Hopefully we can get that to work in time."

Daniel complied as she reached for her radio. "Teal'c, come in."

Almost instantaneously the Jaffa replied, "I am here, Major Carter."

"Something came up, I'm heading towards your direction. We need to ask more questions of our guest of honour."

"I will be ready."

"Good. Carter out." She put her radio back in her vest's pocket. "Daniel, I'll try to dig some information from the Goa'uld. Although I'm highly skeptical that she will be willing to answer my questions. Could you make an announcement and have everyone gather at the bridge for briefing as soon as possible? Tell them about our situation and let them know that I'll explain what we're going to do next after I come back. And have someone contact the SGC as well."

"Consider it done." Daniel smiled encouragingly. 

As soon as she arrived at the holding cell area, she quickly let Teal'c know about their present situation. Wasting no time, they entered Durga's cell to question her. 

"You know that Kali is coming, don't you?" 

The Goa'uld just smiled at the question with no attempt to answer it. 

But Sam was not to be deterred. "What do you want from us?"

"You're smart enough to know what I want," came the vague reply. 

"You wish to enslave us," Teal'c stated evenly. 

"Yes. I was always intrigued by the Tauri and the Sholva. You will make an excellent addition for my army." She averted her eyes to Sam. "I have to thank you for bringing more of your people here. I was disappointed when I lost the three interesting prisoners, but then I found out that you had brought more people for me." 

Sam didn't miss the irony as she clenched her fists tightly. She did suggest the raid on the mothership and thus having more of her people on this damn planet. 

"You can dream all you like but it won't happen. I won't let it happen," she said through gritted teeth. 

"You cannot run away from your destiny," Durga said dryly.

"I build my own destiny, thank you very much. And being your slave is not on my list. Believe me when I say that I'll do anything to make sure that it won't happen ... even if it includes killing you." 

She shocked herself after she said that. She was no saint, as a soldier, she had killed many people. However this was the first time she threatened someone and really meant it. She would do it without hesitation when it came to that. If this made her a cold-blooded killer, then so be it. As long as she could keep her people away from danger. 

Durga smiled indulgently. "You need me alive. My child, Kali would be very upset if she found out that you had harmed her mother. She is a sweet child but has a bad temper."

Sam hated to recognise the truth in her words. "What makes you think that Kali will not turn her back on you? I never really found a perfect family picture amongst you. Does she really love you in the way that you wish her to?" She tried to put some doubts in the Goa'uld's mind. 

Durga laughed out loud. "Love? There's no such foolish feeling between us. She respects and fears me. She wants me alive."

"You provided her with Goa'uld larva," Teal'c said. 

"I provide much more than that." 

"Like what?" 

"It is not your concern."

Sam bit her lower lip to keep her head cool. Talking to a Goa'uld was always a frustrating activity. But at least now she knew that Kali would not blast this ship away as long as Durga was in it. As she said, Kali needed her. But can she afford trusting the word of a Goa'uld? The Colonel always said that their word was as good as a rotten fish. And she tended to agree with him concerning this matter. 

She gestured Teal'c to walk away from the cell and closed the door. She then turned around to face him.

"What do you think? Can we trust her word? Does Kali really need her?" She bombarded him with questions. 

The Jaffa considered his answer for a moment. "Goa'uld are never to be trusted. But I do believe that Kali does not want her deceased. A Goa'uld queen is rare, especially the one with Durga's ability."

"Ability? What ability?"

"There was a legend amongst the Jaffa that Durga is proficient in producing an advanced Goa'uld, who is more strong and powerful than an average Goa'uld. Unlike the normal Goa'uld, this advanced Goa'uld could only be produced one at a time and it took longer for the larva to mature. The maturation process itself could only be done inside the queen's body. The longer correlation between the larva and the queen was believed to create a bond between them, ensuring the loyalty of this new Goa'uld to their queen," Teal'c explained. 

Her eyes went wide as she realised. "She carried the larva like a human mother carried her child."

The Jaffa raised his eyebrow. "That is a valid comparison. If Kali is one of these advanced Goa'uld, then ..."

"I got it."

A mother-child bond between Goa'uld, who would've thought? But she could understand it; for sentient beings, the more intelligent they are, the greater their need for affection. And she knew how lonely it was to be someone who was ... different. People were always intimidated by her achievements, by her brain, and she knew that her attitude didn't help either. She was always suspicious about people who had an interest in her, afraid that there was some ulterior motive behind it. Being a General's daughter had its ups and downs. 

But she was different now. She met the right people. The ones who accepted her just the way she was, although she had a difficult time opening up to them at first. It was Cassie who showed her the way. Cassie trusted her implicitly even though the little girl knew almost nothing about her. 

It took her by surprise as she realised that she had never thought about this before, that a Goa'uld could feel the solitude of life as well. That a Goa'uld was not as ignorant to its own feelings as she had first thought. But she couldn't make it a generalisation. Durga seemed to be a special case, besides, the other Goa'uld didn't have the same ability as hers. 

"I need to go to the bridge now. Stay here and keep an eye on her." 

Teal'c bowed slightly. 

"Thanks Teal'c."

She headed back to the bridge slowly as she planned their strategies. She was so engrossed in her thoughts that she didn't realise that she had reached her destination. 

"Sam, Hailey said that they could get the thrusters online in two hours." Daniel wasted no time to let her know. 

She looked up as Daniel's voice stopped her trail of thought. "Two hours? We won't have enough time ... " she mumbled. 

She was planning to hide behind the sun so that Kali's sensors could not detect the ship, as the radiation from the sun would provide interference to the sensors. But she had to scrap that plan now. Kali would arrive in less than three hours, and they needed one hour to reach the sun. 

"Sam?" Daniel asked as he noticed her silence. 

Her eyes met his as she made up her mind. "Tell Hailey not to be bothered about the thrusters. I'll go there in a moment after I finish here."

"OK."

She turned away from Daniel and found the bridge to be crowded with SGC personnel. They had already been briefed about the situation and were waiting for her. She walked towards the throne in the middle of the room and climbed on it. The extra height helped her to see all the officers inside the room. 

"Atten-hut," she said to gain their attention. 

All the soldiers straightened their pose and started to form an organised line. And then she told them what to do. She might like what she was about to instruct, but she didn't have many choices. This was the least she could do. 

Once she finished, everybody went on their way to do as they were told, some stayed behind to ask for some more specific instructions regarding their orders. She then asked Captain Johnson from SG-3 to relay her tactics to the SGC and Halle to inform Teal'c about the latest development. After she finished with that, she went back straight to the engine room, briefing her assistants about the latest situation. She also checked up on the others, making sure that everything went according to plan. After everything was done, she headed straight towards the launch bay, where she knew Teal'c would be waiting. And waiting he was. Next to one of the only two cargo ships left inside the launch bay. 

"Teal'c, is everything ready?"

"It is."

"Good. How's the evacuation going?"

"It went well. Four Tel'tac have left and are on their ways towards the Stargate."

She noticed the other cargo ship. "What about that one? Why hasn't it left yet?"

"They are waiting for Major Neill's team."

Right on cue, the Major arrived. His team brought several crates with them and they put it straight into the ship. Sam was moving towards him.

"Is everything ready, Major?"

"Yes, Ma'am. We just loaded the last cargo, we'll be leaving as soon as possible," he reported.

The evacuation was done step by step. She might not have a choice but to lose the ship, but she would be damned if she didn't take this opportunity to rip it apart and take whatever technology she could get her hands on. The first four cargo ships were also loaded with the ship's bits and pieces. 

She nodded. "Very well. Let's go then."

"Ma'am," Halle's voice interrupted her.

She saw past Neill's shoulder to where she was standing. She was appointed to the Major's ship. "Yes, Lieutenant."

"I'd like permission to accompany you."

"Permission denied. I don't want to risk any more lives than I already have."

Sam's cargo ship would not go straight to the Stargate like the others, but would search for Colonel O'Neill's team. Kali's mother ship was due to arrive in less than half an hour, she was hoping that she could find them long before that. The Colonel's team traveled by foot, so they shouldn't be that far. But this was still dangerous. The rest of SG-1 would be in this ship, alongside Durga. She could not just send her to the SGC, the risks of her taking over the world with her pheromone-like substance were too great. 

"With all due respect, Ma'am, one of my team mates is out there somewhere. It doesn't feel right for me if I just sit here doing nothing," Halle persisted.

"You're not doing nothing. You'll be helping Major Neill, following his orders, making his life a little bit easier." 

Sam caught the smile that Neill had, and soon realised that she had just make a very Jack O'Neill remark. Not a bad one either. 

"Please Ma'am. This is SG-Alpha's mission to start with. I really want to see it through," Halle pleaded. She made a good point, Sam would be very devastated if she was in her position and her request was denied. But this was a matter of life and death. She couldn't make an exception. 

"I'm sorry, Halle. I couldn't ..."

"Major Carter, perhaps we could use Lieutenant Halle's assistance in the near future," Teal'c interrupted her. 

Sam relented because she trusted Teal'c's judgement. And he was right, she could use some help later on. She glanced at Teal'c who just stood there stoically. 

"OK then. Hop in," she said to Halle after a moment of consideration. 

Halle's face brightened. "Yes, Ma'am."

***

To be continue.

Yup, the story gets more complicated. *sigh* look what I have done to myself, now I have to find a way to get them out of trouble. Oh well, anyway, please do let me know if you want something to be done. Thanks for reading. 


	9. Part 3c

AN: Thanks to JayBee-Bug who beta-read this. It's almost done, :)

*

*

*

The man had brought them deep into the forest. After almost one and a half days of walking, he led them to a cave where he said the Eye was hidden. He was not restrained, but Jack made sure that he was watched at all times. He kept silent for most of the journey, only talking when giving directions. 

Using the flashlight on his P-90, Jack swept the cave's surface for any signs of hostility. Finding none, he motioned for the others to come in as well. 

"So, where's the temple that you're talking about?" Jack asked as the man entered the cave. The cavern was only a few meters deep. 

"Just inside." He walked to the right side of the cave's wall and ran his fingers along the rough surface. Jack watched in interest as he pushed one of the rocks down and the cave began to rumble slightly. One of his arms instinctively rose to shield his head from the dirt that fell through the roof. 

"Whoa. What was that?" exclaimed Richardson as the back wall of the cave started to move upward at an agonizing pace. Once the path in front of them opened, a soft light illuminated from inside the secret chamber. 

"Cool." Green smiled. Both Captains accompanied the Colonel to look for the Eye. 

"You two wait here," Jack ordered as he gestured at the man to proceed. The man started to advance towards the cavity while Jack followed closely behind. 

As he entered, he noticed that the dim light was produced by a crystal placed in the centre of the room. He looked around; the room itself looked like Daniel's lab, lots of tablets and objects lying around on the floor as well as on the table. A thick layer of dust covered them, telling him that they were abandoned a long time ago. 

Jack paced the cave slowly and checked the items one by one. Having no success in finding the thing that he wanted, he asked, "So, where is it?" 

The man was already standing in front of a wall decorated with pictures. Jack recognized them as Egyptian hieroglyphs, very similar to the ones he had seen in Abydos. If there was still any doubt in his mind that this planet was one of Ra's places, it was diminished by the evidence presented before him. 

"It's in here."

"Inside the wall?" Jack moved closer to get a better look. 

"Yes."

"Well then. Open it."

He turned around to face the Colonel. "I do not know how. Only Ra could do that, he did not trust anyone with his deepest secret. I knew about this by chance, not because he told me."

Jack eyed the wall carefully. He tapped it with his knuckles and heard the unmistakable hollow sound. There was no lever or button for him to find, making it impossible for him to open it appropriately. But then again, he was not an 'appropriate' man. 

"Step back," he told the man as he pushed him aside.

"What are you going to do?"

"Just step back." Jack put on his protective goggles and aimed his P-90 at the wall. Without any hesitation he set his weapon on automatic and fired it. The sound of gunfire echoed inside the chamber, amplified by the noise produced by the resonance. He could feel several sharp pieces of the wall scrape his skin, but he ignored the pain, his concentration focused on the job at hand. 

After a few seconds, he stopped and waited until the noise had died down and the thin cloud of dust had settled to the floor. The holes in the wall were large enough for him to tear the rest apart and see what was inside. There was only one item. 

A jar. 

A ceramic jar with a lioness's head. 

Jack frowned involuntarily as he took the jar out and studied it more closely. It was nothing like the picture on Daniel's medallion. There was a small crack on the jar, probably from the bullets that he had used. 

"What's this?" He asked to the man. "Where's the Eye?"

The man gave him a confused look. "That is the Eye of Ra."

"No, it's not," Jack said matter-of-factly.

"Yes, it is," insisted the man.

"No, it's not," the Colonel retaliated with a bit more force in his voice.

The man looked at him straight in his eyes. "Inside the jar, you will find a Goa'uld. Her name is Sekhmet, meaning 'She who is powerful', better known as 'Eye of Ra'."

---

Damn it. 

Damn it damn it damn it damn it. 

How was he supposed to know that Daniel's version of the Eye was different from the Shippy guy? He was not an Anthropologist, an Archaeologist, a Historian or an Egyptologist, for crying out loud. He ruffled his own hair agitatedly. What should he do now? He just traded one Goa'uld for another. Actually, he traded a *queen* Goa'uld for an ordinary one. 

This was worse than buying a cat in a bag. He didn't get the cat at all. 

He stared at the jar in his hand. This was not the Eye that he thought it was. If he had known that it was just another snake, he would not have gone to all this trouble and accepted the offer. He wanted to screw the deal, after all he didn't get exactly what he wanted. But if he just did that, he was no better than those slimy evil parasites. 

He sighed heavily before putting the jar inside his backpack. Daniel had better have a good explanation for this. Or else ... well, he hadn't thought about the 'or else', but Daniel should have that explanation ready anyway. 

"Sir? Do you have it?" Green asked as he exited.

The bright sunlight blinded him for a moment. Taking out his sunglasses, he grimly shook his head. "I have it, but it's not what we thought it was."

"So ... what is it then?" Richardson queried. 

"Snakehead in a bottle."

Both Captains exchanged a look but knew better than to ask further questions when the Colonel's mood was definitely not in its best. 

"We're going back. Our job here is done," he issued the order calmly even though he was royally pissed inside. 

They were just about to leave the cave when his radio came to life. "_Colonel O'Neill, this is Carter. Please respond."_

He picked up his radio straight away. "I'm here. Where are you?"

"_I'm inside a cargo ship, Sir. On my way to pick you up. Can you let us know where your position is?_"

Just then, he noticed the ship flying around on his north. "I see you. Wait a minute, I'll send up a signal."

He then took out a flare from one of his vest pockets and lit it up. A red light shot up into the sky, giving the Major the visual that she needed.

"_We saw it. There's a clearing near where you are, we'll land there._"

"OK. I'll see you there and Carter ..."

"_Yes, Sir?_"

"Tell Daniel that he owes me one Hell of an explanation."

"_Will do.__ Carter out."_

---

"Whoops," Daniel's exclamation was the understatement of the century. 

"*Whoops*? That's all you can say?" Jack was fuming. 

The two of them were standing face to face just outside the cargo ship, the jar was in Daniel's possession now. The others just stayed back and watched the encounter. Carter had briefed Jack and the two Captains about Kali and her plan. He was disappointed that they lost the ship as soon as they got it, but he understood her decisions. 

"When I heard about the Eye of Ra, I automatically assumed that it was the weapon. Sorry." This time, Daniel's face did show he was really sorry when he apologized. 

"Why didn't you tell me that there's another thing called that?" Jack pressed.

"Like I said Jack, I automatically assumed that it was the weapon. I never thought Sekhmet actually existed in the Goa'uld world. I never found references about her off-world and I just thought --" 

Jack cut him off, "Well, you thought wrong."

Carter cleared her throat. "Daniel, what do you know about this Sekhmet?"

"Well, in the Egyptian Mythology she's Ra's daughter. Very cruel and blood-thirsty goddess. To be called someone's eye is like someone's subordinate, where they are ordered to do things that their god wants them to do. She is the dark side of Hathor." The archaeologist said the last sentence in a low voice. 

"I really hate that woman," Jack stated at the mention of her name.

"She's not Ra's daughter," the man spoke for the first time since he entered the cargo ship.

"She's not?" Daniel asked in astonishment. 

He stared right through the linguist's eyes. "Ra asked Durga to bare his child. She agreed. But Sekhmet was not his, she was lying to him."

"Whoa, wait a minute here. What do you mean Durga bare Ra's child? Was Ra planning to have a Harcesis?" Daniel was confused. 

"I think there's something that you guys need to know," Carter suddenly said. "Teal'c told me that there's a rumor that Durga can carry a Goa'uld larva in her stomach as it matures, like a human carries her baby. And these larvae are special, they're the best ... breed of their kind."

"Teal'c?" Jack asked for the Jaffa's confirmation as he could not believe what he had just heard.

"It is true, O'Neill."

Jack looked at Teal'c, and then at Daniel, and at Carter, and finally at the man who claimed to be Shiva. "Okay. What's going on here?"

"Ra promised to give Durga an army if she gave him a child. When he found out that she had deceived him, he put Sekhmet in that jar as punishment. He also pursued Durga, but he was never able to find her," the man enlightened the human further. 

"Sekhmet was punished because she was disobeying Ra's orders. I have never heard of the tale that you have spoken," Teal'c questioned the man's words.

It was Jack who answered, with a smirk on his face, "Well Teal'c, I think it's understandable. He wouldn't want the whole universe to know that someone had made a fool out of him."

"If that is true, than how did he know of this?" Teal'c turned his attention to the man. 

"Because I'm the one who discovered the treachery," the man answered calmly. "I have given you the Eye of Ra as promised. Now it is your turn to give me Durga."

Once again, the Colonel contemplated his options, but he knew that he could not break his promises. His honor wouldn't allow him. "Carter." 

He received a questioning look from her but she nodded nevertheless and then disappeared inside the Pel'tac, a few moments later she came out with Durga alongside her. The Goa'uld's hands were cuffed. 

"You know that Kali's forces are coming, don't you?" Jack watched as the man approached Durga.

"I do." His eyes were focused on the woman before him. 

"Just checking." Jack then faced his team. "Okay kids, now it's time for us to leave." If the man wanted to stay here, then by all means, he was welcome to do just that. But Jack was not going to follow his example.

"Wait," Durga shouted at him. "Is it true, that he gave you the Eye?"

"You mean this?" Daniel showed her the jar. It was a similar jar to the ones that contained Osiris and Isis, the ones that were found back on Earth. 

"Yes." Her brown eyes studied the object carefully. "Give it to me and I will let you go."

"Hey lady, you seemed to be confused about your situation," Jack snapped. Sometimes the arrogance was just too much to handle. "You know what. I don't have time for this. I'm out of here."

"It's no good to you dead. I can feel it weakening. Give it to me."

Daniel took a moment to study the jar and run his finger along the crack presented there. "Jack, did this just happen recently?"

Ignoring both of them, Jack turned away and started to head towards the ship. They wasted enough precious time already. Kali wouldn't wait for them to finish their chitchat. As the others start to follow, he heard a shrill scream. Automatically, he grabbed his P-90 and turned towards the sound. 

Durga was still standing slightly ahead from the last time he saw her. Her mouth was partially open as her eyes showed great shock. But what interested Jack was that something seemed to go straight through her chest. He hadn't seen the blood taint her white clothes yet, but he knew that it was only a matter of time. 

"You better go now. She's no longer your concern."

Jack averted his eyes to see the man who claimed to be Shiva standing extremely close behind the Goa'uld. There was no doubt in Jack's mind that he was still holding the other end of the dagger that now rested inside Durga's body. The dagger that he might have picked up inside the chamber when they went to retrieve the Eye. 

"You heard the man. Let's go." Putting his shock aside, he forced himself not to ask questions. His words seemed to awaken the rest of his team, clearly none of them understood what was happening. Not because the man had just stabbed the Goa'uld, but because of the tear that escaped through his eyes. Was it a tear of relief? Or was it something else? 

None of them said a word as they went back to the ship. Teal'c swiftly took his position in the pilot seat and flew the ship in the direction of the Stargate. 

***

Sam watched the Colonel out of the corner of her eyes. She knew how disappointed he was about the whole thing, and how angry he was at himself. She knew the feeling as she experienced it herself right now. They both expected something big out of this mission, but in the end, they just took everything that they could carry while they ran away. 

The Colonel was standing beside Teal'c, looking out the ship's window. His mood was unreadable, and it was worse than when he was angry. This was his 'leave me alone' mood. The only person naive enough to make a conversation with him when he was like this was Daniel. Not even Teal'c or Sam herself would do that, not because they were scared of his reaction, but because they knew that he just needed some time alone to think things through. 

But Daniel seemed to understand the need now. He was talking with Halle just a few feet away from her, but Sam could see that his eyes darted towards the Colonel now and again, checking if his best friend was alright. 

"Major Carter," Teal'c called out her name.

She looked up to him and then the screen in front of her.

"They're coming," she said as the screen showed Kali's ship had just exited hyperspace. 

"She will soon realize that Durga is not here," Daniel said. 

"Sir?" Sam asked for his confirmation as she looked straight into his eyes.

"Do it," he gave the order with a slight nod of his head. 

She nodded back and took Teal'c's place in front of the control board. She made a few adjustments and then pushed one of the buttons. A few seconds later a loud blast was heard and the ship was shaken a bit. The screen in front of her blurred.

"Carter?" The Colonel asked. "What's that?"

"Just the shock wave, Sir. Nothing to worry about." She kept her eyes on the screen, waiting for the information that she needed. Once the screen refocused, she smiled broadly. "Confirmed Sir. The claymore has done its job, Durga's ship is destroyed. Kali's shield protected her, but the position was too close, we managed to damage it slightly."

They had planted explosives on the ship's power core when she realized they could not have the ship. It was better to destroy it than give it back to a Goa'uld. 

"How far are we from the Stargate?" Richardson asked somehow anxiously. 

"Just a few more minutes. The Death Gliders won't have time to reach us," Sam answered to calm his nerves. 

"Okay then. Pack up and get ready," the Colonel once again issued an order. 

Following his order, the others started to scatter around the room. Sam gave the control back to Teal'c and walked past the Colonel to get prepared. She could feel his hand catch her shoulder. She turned around to meet his eyes.

"Good job, Carter."

She smiled. "Thanks, Sir."

They both knew that the job was not finished and the compliment was premature, but somehow they also knew that it was the right thing for him to say and for her to hear right now. And perhaps she should say something too? But what? As she watched him turn his back on her, she couldn't care less.

"Sir?"

Once again their eyes met. "Yeah?" She could see so much emotion in them, and it gave her the courage to say something. Anything. 

"I know this might sound strange, but ..." She took a deep breath. "I'm glad that you kept your promise."

He didn't even raise an eyebrow, he knew what she meant by that. She might have been confused when the Colonel told her to give Durga to the man as they didn't actually get the Eye that they wanted, but that was just the kind of man that he was. Even though they had the worse end of the bargain, a Goa'uld Queen for a Goa'uld, something inside her had said that it was OK. Her rational and logical mind screamed that it wasn't fair, but deep down she knew that life was not always fair. It took a lot of courage to do the things that he did, and she found it to be ... endearing. 

He closed his eyes and sighed in relief as if someone had just lifted his burden. "Thanks."

She only gave him her smile as a reply. The Colonel had had his doubts and she was more than glad to let him know that she didn't think less of him because of that. Because he was who he was, a man of integrity, a commanding officer worthy of her service, a loyal friend and ... someone who made her realize that she cared more about him than she was allowed to.

***

To be continue ...


	10. Part 3d

AN: once again, thanks to the wonderful beta, JayBee-Bug.

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Jack let out a long breath as he allowed the warm water to cascade down his body. His eyes were shut as he enjoyed his shower. He didn't know how to feel. The anti-climax of their latest mission somehow disappointed him. But why exactly, he didn't know. 

He was supposed to be glad. Sure they lost the ship, but they managed to get quite a lot of doohickeys for Carter to play with, blow up another mothership, and get back home without any extra casualties. He should have been happy. It was much better than any other mission that went wrong (and boy, how wrong this mission could have gone). But why did he get this nagging feeling that something was not right? That something was missing.

"Jack, are you done yet? We got a debriefing in 10 minutes," Daniel yelled from the outside. 

"I'll be done in a minute," he shouted back, fighting the noise of the shower. 

Reluctantly, he turned off the water. Grabbing the towel, he rubbed it roughly throughout his body, letting the material soak in the extra moisture. When he reached the locker room, Daniel was already gone. He said that he had to go to his office first to get some materials for the briefing. Wasting no time, he put on his BDU and headed towards the briefing room. 

Unsurprisingly, the rest of his team was already there, together with the other senior officers involved in the mission. Doctor Fraiser was also present, to keep them appraised on the conditions of those who were injured. Greeting the occupants of the room, he then proceeded to take his seat next to his 2IC. He took a pencil and twirled it around his fingers absentmindedly while he watched the others. Daniel and Carter were talking animatedly with each other while Teal'c listened to them with his usual Teal'c's face. Fraiser was having a conversation with Major Grant in the corner of the room, next to the coffee machine. They were waiting for the General to start the debriefing. 

And when the General arrived, they wasted no time. Carter was the first to give a report, she spoke about the SG-Alpha mission, followed by the others to complete the whole picture of the mission. The Doc gave her information about the Goa'uld that they had. Because the stasis jar was broken, she had to put it in a water tank to keep it alive. She hadn't had the time to study its physiology yet, but she recommended asking for the Tok'ra's assistance. She didn't really know what to expect from this 'advanced' type of snake, so she was hoping that their allies could shed some light onto it. And then somehow the discussion wandered towards the direction of the Goa'uld queen herself. 

"Are you sure that she's gone?" General Hammond asked.

It was Daniel who answered, "Well, we all saw her stabbed from behind. Unless Kali managed to get there and put her back inside a sarcophagus, then it's safe to say that she is ... gone."

"She is." Without even thinking, Jack let everyone know his opinion about the matter. 

Madden frowned. "How can you be so sure, Sir?"

"Called it a gut instinct, but I'm quite sure that that Shiva guy will make sure that she stays dead." It was not a gut instinct, somehow he just knew. There was something in the man's eyes that looked familiar. 

The General nodded. He was satisfied with the Colonel's reassurance. "Anything else?"

"Ah, Sir. What about the NID? Have they heard about Sekhmet yet?" Carter expressed her concern. And he could relate to her anxiety, the NID didn't really have a good record concerning 'valuable' SGC findings. 

"Not yet. But they will soon. I'll talk to the President and make sure that we have the priority to keep it here. But we might have to give them something in return."

"I'll work out the list for the technology that we managed to get from the mother ship. We could give some of it straight away to the NID, the ones that we are already familiar with," Carter agreed but was still wary. No alien technology could go out of the SGC without being preliminarily tested by her scientist club. 

Jack studied her cautiously as she talked with Hammond. Without her even realizing it, little by little she took on more responsibility and now he could see that she was completely ready to be the next SG-1 leader. It'll be good to the team. A little change in it would only strengthen them. 

And suddenly, the reality kicked him hard. 

He would miss all of it. He would miss all the struggles and fighting. He would miss the briefings, the debriefings and the post mission check ups. He would miss the sound of the klaxons barking in the middle of the night with Davis's voice echoing 'Unauthorized Gate Activation' though the corridors. He would miss the red and green lines on the floor. He would miss Thor and his little friends. He would miss bugging Daniel and Carter as well as conning Teal'c into doing something 'fun'. He would miss the mess hall's Jell-O and pies. 

On the other hand ...

He wouldn't miss the opportunity to never ever have to talk to the Tok'ra anymore (except Jacob). He wouldn't miss dealing with the NID. He wouldn't miss Daniel's and Carter's technobabble, although they had the tendency to do that anyway in everyday life (he *definitely* was staying in contact with his teammates). He wouldn't miss calling Carter 'Carter' (... maybe he would miss it a little, since it will be a little odd to call her a different name at first). 

And yet ...

He couldn't help but feel that something was slipping through his fingers. He was proud of his team and knew for certain that they would do well without him. Now he could truly understand how parents felt about their children growing up. She will make her own mistakes and learn from them, while he watched from afar. It was a hard thing to do, but he wouldn't let the apprehension control him. 

"Dismissed." The General's voice took him back to the present. The briefing was over. As he watched the older man walking towards his office, he put all his qualms aside like he always did. He stood up, informed his team to go ahead without him, walked towards the General's office and knocked. 

"Come in," shouted the voice inside the room. 

He reached for the doorknob and gripped it tightly. He had to do it. It was the right thing to do. 

And then he opened the door. 

***

Sam held the glass closer to her side nervously. Colonel O'Neill was sitting right in front of her, in the middle of O'Malleys. He said that he wanted to talk about something. She was aware that he had just had a conversation with the General, but she didn't want to jump to any conclusions just yet. 

"I talked to Hammond..." 

She concentrated on the table's surface in front of her and pursed her lips. She had sensed that something was bothering him during the debriefing. Here goes.

" ... you'll be the new SG-1 leader by the end of the month."

The glass that she was holding jumped a few centimeters, spilling some of the contents on the table.

"Wha … what did you say?" She stuttered when she asked the question. The grip on her glass tightened. 

He looked at her in amusement. "You better put down the glass." 

She glared at him. He made it sound like she was going to hurt the glass. He just smiled under her scrutinizing and enjoyed the sight of his 2IC following his advice and wipe the spill on the table with her napkin. 

"I wanted it to be as soon as possible, but there's a stack of paperwork that needs to be dealt with. Why are you so surprised with the news?" He asked.

She put the wet napkin aside. "I thought ... since we lost the ship ... you know." 

"What does the ship have to do with any of this?"

"It was supposed to be your retirement present, remember? And I blew it up."

"Wouldn't be the first one, would it?" he snorted playfully. 

"Sir?" 

"What about 'The O'Neill'? You blew that one as well."

She blushed as he reminded her. "I had to."

"Just like this one. You had to."

"But ..." she started to protest.

"Ah, ah, ah. No buts," he cut her off. His expression softened. "I thought you wanted this too."

"I do, but --" The glare in his eyes made her stop. 

"Carter, I wouldn't do this if I wasn't completely sure." 

She slumped back and rested her back against her chair. He made up his mind and there was nothing anyone could do to stop it. But ...

"Back in the briefing room," she started in a low voice, "there was something that worried you. And for a moment I thought..." She didn't finish the sentence, but they both knew what she meant. "Anyway, I just want you to know that I understand if you don't want to go through with it."

He laughed. "There's no hiding from you, is there?"

She was confused by his laughter as she didn't find it amusing. Trying to get her message across, she raised her eyebrows at him.

When the laughter subsided, he continued, "You were right. Back in the briefing room I thought about missing so many things after I retired. But then I realized that it wasn't about the things that I will miss, it was about letting go."

Letting go? Of what? "What do you mean?"

She could see his hand tighten into a fist. 

"I was afraid to let my life go. You know when you've been doing something for so long that you just can't remember exactly why you're doing it? And then when the reason is no longer a reason and you have a cause to stop, but you don't want to because you just don't know how to live a different life?" He paused. "It was like that." He took one of her hands into his. "There's some important things that I have to let go of so that I can gain. And I just know that you'll be worth whatever I'm giving up ..."

The emotion on his face caught her off-guard. And so did the sincere admission. It was frightening and yet exciting at the same time. She always knew that he was a deep kind of person behind the ignorant mask that he put on. 

"... I know you'll be a good leader. Teal'c told me about Halle requesting to be on the rescue team. You have an effect on your subordinates; you make them want to do better..."

And he trusted her more than anyone had. 

"... You are *you*."

He made her feel so precious. His compliment meant a lot more than a dozen of roses or gifts. Suddenly, her vision was blurred as she was fighting to keep her tears on hold.

"Thank you."

***

He watched her cough blood as her condition weakened. She was lying on the ground while he supported her head in his lap. He wiped the blood away with the end of his robe. The knife still rested inside her body. 

"I've told you that I would never let you take my Ravi from me," his voice was steady, but not threatening. 

Her eyes flashed, but the face softened as brown eyes met brown. "She is weak. And so am I. She's trying to repair the damage, but I don't think that she will succeed," she told him.

His eyes lightened up in expectation. "It is you? Tell me, is it really you?"

She raised her hand and reached for the symbol on his forehead. "I can't believe you did this. You always said that you'll never serve them."

He grabbed the stretched hand and held it close to his heart. "I also told you that I would never give you up. No matter what."

She laughed but then she coughed. "But at what price?" Her voice was getting lower and lower as she was getting weaker. "Serving a master that you despise, captured and tortured by the creature ... by me."

He cut her off straight away, "It wasn't you. You'd never do that to me."

"It was me. I killed you over and over again. With these hands ..." she trailed off as she stared at their joined hands that were covered in her blood. "It was me who made you suffer."

"But my suffering will not be for nothing. I'll free you from the creature."

He went to Ra and was his priest because of her. He told Ra of Durga's betrayal because of her. He asked to be the guard of Sekhmet because he knew that she would come back looking for her. He knew how special Sekhmet was to her. He purposely let Durga know where to find him, Ra had never really had any use for Mata for a long time, so he rarely visited it. He refused to give what Durga wanted because it was the only thing that chained her to him. He might be Durga's prisoner, but she was the one who was trapped. He waited for a chance for so long and finally it came and he took it. 

"And for that I am grateful, but you shouldn't have. No one is worth that much sacrifice." Her eyes reflected gentleness that she hadn't shown ever since the creature took over her body. 

"You are," he let his palm touch the side of her head. "You are."

They could hear the Jaffa approaching. Kali's troops had finally reached the planet's surface and were searching for their queen. 

A look of panic flashed in her eyes. "They're coming for me. That's why she let me have control, so that she could concentrate on staying alive until they came for us."

"Shhh, don't be afraid. I won't let them take you away from me again." He cradled her like she was a fragile little infant. "And that's a promise."

She heard the Jaffa were closing their distance, but his voice had always had a calming effect on her. Always made her believe in the impossible. 

His hand was trembling as it traveled to the handle of the knife.

"Sleep now. For the bad dream will soon be over," he whispered to her ears, his tears were flooding like an open dam. 

And then he pulled the knife out with all his might. 

"ARGHHH," she screamed in pain as her body tried to escape his death grip. But he was stronger. The white sari that she wore now started to turn into red. 

He tried to block her cry to no avail; his heart was shattered into a million pieces. But he had to make sure that the creature was damaged beyond repair. The edge of the knife touched the back of her neck. 

He planted a kiss on her hair. "My Ravi. No one can take you away from me."

And with that last word, he thrust the knife upwards. 

Her eyes went wide for a brief second.

He could feel it went though the creature that resided inside her body. He twisted it as the body in his arm convulsed wildly. With that last movement, her body went rigid and then went limp. He left the knife where it was and held her tightly. The creature was history.

He sobbed and sobbed like there was no tomorrow. His Ravi had finally gone to a better place. He barely realized the rough hands that separated him from the still warm body of her. His brain didn't register the pain as his head was hit by the end of the staff weapon. His ears didn't hear the anguished holler that he had let out from his own mouth as he crumpled to the ground. 

All that mattered was his Ravi was gone. 

And without the sun, there was no life to live.

***

to be continue

The epilogue will soon follow, ;)


	11. Epilogue

AN: This is it. Thanks for everyone who had been so patient with me and send their support, you make this story possible, I really appreciated it. Hopefully you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoy writing it. This chapter is once again beta-read by the ever wonderful JayBee-Bug. Enjoy the story everyone. 

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**EPILOGUE**

"What do you mean it isn't finished?" Sam said through gritted teeth. The nerve of that man. Couldn't he do anything right?

The slightly older man who was at the receiving end of her anger squirmed uncomfortably. "One of the machines stopped operating last night, thus we don't have the necessary data to ..."

The machine? How dare he blame the machine. The machine was perfectly alright, it was her baby, and her baby could never do anything wrong. Her eyes narrowed dangerously. "Well, if you are competent in what you do, then obviously --" 

"Dr. Felger, could you excuse us for a moment?" General Hammond who had watched the interaction between them interrupted, stopping her from going into a long and well-composed tirade. 

"Of course, Sir. I'll be in my office if you need me." She saw him sending a grateful look to the General before finally fleeing to the office without waiting for the General's answer. 

She looked at Hammond questioningly, wondering what was so important that he didn't want that idiot Felger to hear.

Smiling at her, he motioned to the chair. "Take a seat."

"Sir?"

"Have a seat," he repeated.

Obeying his request, she sat on the chair and waited. 

Giving her a knowing smirk, he said, "Jack went fishing, didn't he?"

She blushed and looked down guiltily like a child who got caught with her hand in a cookie jar. "I was being too harsh with Dr. Felger, wasn't I?"

He chuckled slightly. "I take it things are going well between the two of you then?"

Sam sighed deeply. The question didn't make her uncomfortable, but it was still a bit personal. Hammond was like her second father and he was being supportive of her and Jack's relationship. As soon as Jack retired, six months ago, they had been seeing each other. But things went too slow, to their frustration, because she was too busy dealing with all the changes in the SGC since he had left. SG-1 had two officers as his replacement, Captain Charlie Green, one of SG-Alpha's members and Captain Peter Dean, who used to be one of SG-7's members. She also had to deal with more paperwork than she was used to. 

"Sam?" he asked wearily, as she didn't answer his question. 

She met his eyes. "We are ... alright." 

They went on several dates, but that was it. They were not fighting or anything like that, but that was just because they didn't spend enough time together to talk, let alone argue. She missed him. A lot. Sure when she went home at night, he would be there to hold her through the night, but she wanted to be with him 24/7. 

"Take a break." 

She did a double-take. "Sir?"

"You've been working hard lately, Sam. You deserve a break."

She could just kiss him right now, but she knew that she couldn't take it. "But what about the experiment and the --"

"Two weeks. I'm sure we can handle things around here without you for a couple of weeks," he insisted calmly. 

"But SG-1 has a mis --" 

"It isn't an important one. We could postpone it."

She appreciated the generous offer, she did. But she didn't want to be treated differently just because she was the General's favourite subordinate (she knew it for certain since he was her surrogate Godfather). 

"You have been banking your downtime since you joined the SGC. I think it's the right time to cash some in." As if reading her mind, he smiled gently. "You have a life outside the SGC now. Take as many chances as you can, Sam, because as someone who thinks of you as my own daughter, I want you to be happy." He paused for a moment. "Even though I'll have to face the wrath of Jacob."

She grinned at the mention of her father. Jacob liked and respected Jack, but he had a hard time accepting the fact that Jack was dating his only daughter. He said that he had seen it coming, but there was nothing to prepare even the most loving parent for admitting the fact that their children had finally found someone to share their life with. His response when she told him about Jack was classic. He was so stunned that Selmac had to take over and offer her congratulations while Jacob was recuperating from the heart-attack. Selmac even told her that he demanded her to tell him that it was only a dream (a severe case of denial). But when he did recover from the shock, he hugged her and told her that his baby girl had grown up (she didn't know whether to take it as a compliment or not). 

"Dad likes Jack," she found herself defending him.

Hammond smirked. "He only said that so he wouldn't upset you."

---

It was only the second time that she had ever been to his cabin but she wished that it could have been more. She saw him looking at her car from the deck while she was parking it next to his jeep. By the time she got out of the car, he was already by her side. Without saying a word, his forehead rested against hers and his hands rested on her waist. 

"Hi." She smiled at the welcome that she was given.

He lowered his head and brushed his lips against hers firmly. She could feel the desire and possession in their kiss as her arms rose to wrap around his neck loosely while their bodies moved closer together. She felt relief to know that he had missed her as much as she missed him. He pulled away from the kiss first. 

"Hammond didn't just sack you, did he?"

And then his lips were back on hers. But it wasn't brutal or forceful, it was gentle and soft. She giggled at the suggestion and pushed him to arm's length. 

"He gave me two weeks downtime." She stepped forward and buried herself in his arms, her head resting on his chest. "I'm turning into this awful, bossy and demanding CO without you. Hammond sent me here hoping that you would be a good influence on my mood."

This was one of the best things that she liked when he was no longer her Colonel. She was able to whine and act childish around him. And it really helped that they had the same sense of humor.

"Me? Good influence? Has Hammond finally lost his mind?" He ran his fingers through her hair. She found out that he loved doing that, he could just play with her hair all day long even though it was so short. He liked planting kisses there, massaging her scalp with his talented hands, messing her hair up and then patiently combing it with his fingers. 

"Miss you." She closed her eyes and welcomed the warmth of his body. 

"Me too." He sighed in contentment. "Come on, let's get your things inside."

She let him go hesitantly. But her face brightened as she remembered something.

"Wait here, I wanted to give you something."

She crawled back in her car and took something from the large plastic box that was seated next to the driver seat. She held it carefully and then handed it to him.

"For you."

Jack held his present carefully as it wiggled, trying to escape from him. "For me?"

She nodded as she recognized the adoring look that he gave to her gift. "You always said that you wanted a dog, right? My friend told me that her Golden Retriever had just given birth. I saw him and I just knew that he was the right one for you. He's a bit rebellious, but I know that you can give him the proper discipline. It's too bad that I couldn't let you two meet earlier, but the owner wanted to make sure that he was old enough to be separated from his mother."

"That's why you've been saying 'no' to all the dogs that we look at in the pet shop?"

"Of course. I had to prevent you from having another dog besides him. He gets jealous easily, you know," she teased him. 

Both the puppy and Jack looked at each other in such a similar fashion that she couldn't help but laugh. Their eyes were a picture of trust and love. 

"What's his name?" Jack asked. He stroked the soft light brown fur of the puppy until it calmed down and started to settle in his arms. 

She shook her head. "He's yours. You name him."

He leaned forwards and kissed her again. "You're wonderful. Have I told you that today?"

"Any name but 'Thor'."

He eyed her suspiciously. "How did you know that I was going to name him that?"

Gee, she didn't have a clue.

Maybe because she actually listened when he talked?

Duh.

She rolled her eyes. "You told me."

"Okay. Why not 'Thor'? He's a buddy, he named a ship after me." He kissed her again.

"It's not going to work," she stated calmly.

"What's not going to work?" Another kiss and her eyes were closed. 

"You kissing me to get what you want."

"It worked before." Yet another kiss and she was fighting a losing battle. He had his way with her and sometimes it drove her nuts. He might not be her CO anymore, but he sure knew how to make sure that things went his way. 

"No," she said firmly, trying to convince herself that she could resist this man.

"Please." He didn't kiss her fully this time, but he bit her lower lip gently, scraping his teeth on her soft flesh. She could feel his tongue tracing the outline of her lip slowly. 

She shook her head and stepped backward. His kisses had clouded her mind. What were they talking about? She couldn't remember for sure, but her instincts told her not to surrender. Ever.

He advanced towards her as she kept moving backwards. When she felt her back bump into her car, she knew that she was trapped. He was still holding the little puppy, but that was not a problem for him. He leaned down and started to nibble on her earlobe, and then he whispered hoarsely, "You know you want it too."

Oh dear. 

***

Jack watched her sitting in front of the fireplace from the kitchen, knowing for certain that she was pissed. Thanks to him of course. But then again, 'Thor' was definitely worth it. That and she was so incredibly stunning when she was irritated. 

He walked towards her bringing two empty glasses and a bottle of wine. He took a seat next to her and handed her one of the glasses and poured a generous amount in it. She was just so beautiful that he couldn't resist kissing her again.

"I'm worried," she said as soon as their lips were apart.

"Why?" He poured himself some wine. 

She sighed as she turned her head to look at the fire. "We've been together for almost six months now and yet we haven't even fought just once."

Did he hear that right? "What do you mean?"

She put down her wineglass and tuned to him. Taking his glass from his hand, she put it down next to hers and then her hands covered his. "Don't get me wrong, but I want to have a normal relationship with you."

"Sam, our life is anything but normal," he gently stroked the back of her hand with his thumbs. She still had that tendency to think too much. 

"I know that, but I can't help it, I want it to be normal." Her eyes were pleading and he found himself falling to her feet, ready to do anything she wanted. 

"What do you want?" 

Her eyes went wide for a while. "I don't know. I want to spend more time with you, with ... the puppy."

"His name is Thor."

She flashed him an indignant look. "I'm trying to be serious here." And then her expression turned sad. "I'm thinking about giving up some of my positions in the SGC."

He knew that she was the head of the astrophysics department, SGC liaison with the Pentagon, as well as being the SG-1 leader and Hammond's unofficial 2IC. She handled the responsibilities well, but it came with a price. And he also knew how hard it was for her to do what she had just told him. 

"Come here." He put his arms around her and held her close. "I won't tell you what to do and what not to do. Just bear this in mind. I'll support you whatever your decision is."

She snuggled closer to him. "I don't want to lose you." There was fear in her voice. "Do you remember Halle?"

He recognized the name. "Wasn't she the Lt. who was on SG-Alpha?"

"She's a Captain now. Just got promoted last month."

He vaguely remembered the young woman. "Good for her."

"She broke up with her boyfriend soon after that mission. Who was also her former CO."

And suddenly, he knew where the conversation was going. 

"We're not them."

She looked at him with an exasperated expression. "I didn't say that we are. I just admired her. She was making a hard decision, set her priority straight and got what she deserved."

"And?"

"And I was thinking that what I want is to be with you. So ..."

Thor chose that precise moment to bark from his make-shift bed in the kitchen. He smiled at her, "I'll be right back."

He went to get him and got back to her. The Golden Retriever was safely cradled in his arms, his head resting on his front legs. "He must have missed his Mum," Jack said. 

When Thor saw her, he leaped away from his new owner and started to climb on her shirt. She helped him a little until he finally was able to lick her face affectionately. 

He couldn't resist teasing her, "Thor, buddy. That's my girlfriend you're licking."

She groaned. "This is why I didn't want you to name him Thor." She shuddered slightly. "I got some funny images in my head and I have to blame it all to you."

Thor just wiggled his tail as Jack laughed at her. "Blame me all you like Ma'am. I don't mind."

She gave him an annoyed look, letting him know that she didn't want to be his source of amusement. Too bad the position was especially made for her. Ignoring him, she turned her attention to the puppy and scratched his ear, eliciting a purr from him. 

Jack put his arms around her. "Sam."

She looked up to meet his eyes.

"Thank you."

She frowned. "What for?"

He was in his beloved cabin with the only person that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with and the dog that he had always wanted. 

"Making my dream come true."

The brilliant smile was back on her face. 

"Your dream is my dream."

***The End***


End file.
